DOC
by Well of Allsparks
Summary: Sent to an alternative continuity in which things are different, Sam is tasked with discovering exactly what went wrong in this timeline that landed him with an Earth vehicle instead of an Autobot. Seventeen again, primed for summer vacation, and with a one tracked mind to find the Autobots whether they're even on Earth or not, he wonders, have things changed for better or worse?
1. The Red Chevrolet

This will be my 'new story' that I will be working on. Don't expect it to be very long, I foresee only a few chapters here too. This one, however, will be a full story with all plot points. The whole shebang... just in only a few chapters. I thought about making my 'new story' a new fandom, and I already have a fic picked out, but I am in the midst of doing a few drawings to accompany it. So here you are.

I hope you like it.

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Sometimes I ask myself how I got here. Then I remember I died, I lived, I was disowned by an entire planet, kidnapped twice, proclaimed dead, and dropped into a pile of malfunctioning space bridge parts reminiscent of a time _long_ past. After I remember that, I promptly decide that the journey doesn't matter. Because right now, as of this very moment, none of that happened.

It's April 16th, 2007, I'm seventeen, and I just bought my first car last week. It's a beautiful red Chevrolet that starts shaking over fifty miles an hour, has no air conditioning, and only gets A.M. radio. There's a suspicious dent in the passenger side door that makes it very difficult to open, and from what I can tell, the previous owner was a heavy tobacco smoker. However, the most noticeable feature about it is it's impeccable lack of being yellow with black racing stripes, and perhaps even more noteworthy is it's lack of being a Camaro.

I'm sitting in the garage, staring at this piece of shit like it's the most fascinating thing in the world because it's just a regular car. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with one of these things! I haven't actually driven in so long, my driving is as bad as it was when I first started. Which I guess is a good thing I only just got the thing.

Not that I care about this thing, I just want to know why it isn't alive. Going back in time, sure it's a little weird but I'm honestly not completely thrown off by that. I believe it. Mom and Dad are terrible at acting, and just looking at myself in the mirror confirms that I have successfully traveled back to my Junior year of high school. So alright. Time travel. Great. Now where is Bee? I got sent back right before I made first contact with the aliens, and yet as I scanned the parking garage with expecting eyes, I came up short. The parking place I thought I remembered him being in, which very well could be the wrong one anyways, was empty. I asked around, I tried to see if he'd in fact pulled into a different place, but I drove out of that parking lot without my best friend. And I want to know why.

"What do you know?" I asked the piece of shit as if holding an interrogation with a Decepticon. Not that this thing is sentient- which it isn't. But I just know this stupid car is responsible for my entire life suddenly getting derailed. Did my coming back here change something? Did I accidentally throw everything off? "Where is he?"

Unfortunately, the old vehicle I have thus decided to title 'Destroyer of Continuities'- or DOC for short -stubbornly refused to give away any of it's secrets. It just stared ahead with faded headlights.

I narrowed my eyes back. Is Bee on Earth searching for the glasses? Maybe he just didn't catch whatever lead brought him to me? Or maybe he found a different lead? Or maybe someone else came down to search and never found my eBay account? Or is it more serious, like they aren't even _to_ Earth yet? If so, are the Decepticons here yet? Barricade? I haven't seen him, which I think I'd seen Barricade by now even without Bee trailing after me. Or worse yet, could it be that the Allspark isn't even on Earth? Or does this go even farther back causing repercussions in the present I can't even fathom?! Is it at all possible that maybe, they don't even exist here?

I started laughing, trying to dispel these ridiculous notions. By all means, any one of them could be correct, but I'm definitely over doing this right now. I have to stay calm and figure this out as best I can. Right now, I could attempt to find Sector Seven at the Hoover Dam, send a fake video like the one I had originally that brought me onto Simmons' radar, or simply try to contact them on my own terms from the comfort of this garage. I'm no good with technology, despite what Wheeljack and Ratchet had hoped to have been teaching me, but I could at least try to modify normal technology to hack the Autobot transmission frequency and send a message. I doubt it would work, since my communications node was commissioned into Autobot access, so the only transmission work I've ever done was on a node that had been initiated from the inside.

But I can't do anything in the middle of school, with this piece of shit car, and my parents breathing down my back.

"Sam? Are you in here again?" Mom poked her head inside.

I raised my head, not saying anything. I'm not sure how I feel about that aspect of this offset continuum. I suppose it's nice to have their ignorant company, because the last time I saw them before all this happened, they were pissed off at me and I'm not entirely sure I had the right to call them 'Mom' and 'Dad' anymore. Neither of them denied the nicknames, but it's more of a social thing. They ceased to play that role, to fill that image, or embody that feeling. They're more like two people that are generally disappointed with me that barely know me anymore, and when we see each other, we get a vague sense of recognition. I don't even feel obligation to maintain familial ties to them. I'm not rejecting them, and they aren't rejecting me, we simply don't keep each other in our hearts anymore. I guess this version of Mom knows as much about where I come from as my version of her does.

"No matter how long you stare at that thing, it isn't going to sprout legs and start dancing." She laughed, leaning in the doorway.

I rolled my eyes, imagining the twins dancing and knocking things over so bad Ironhide started pinning them against the wall just to make them stop.

"I've actually been thinking about this summer." I looked back to the car. About a month of school left before summer vacation. An entire month of grueling, painful school work that I can now, rather confidently say that will not help me in my life after graduation. I've literally done all of this already- though currently I'm going through classes that I'd missed while I was away with the Autobots. But I'd caught up on the work after I returned.

"What are you thinking?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I was thinking about taking a road trip."

"A- a what?" She nearly gagged.

"A road trip. Just for a week or so. I mean, I want to go out into the world and experience it before I graduate. It feels like all I know of the world is school, which is really deceptive. We grow up knowing nothing of life except in school for thirteen or so years, and I just want to do it while I still have this come back to afterwards."

She gave me a look that probably meant she thought I'd matured and grown philosophical over night. Which, while I totally believe it probably would help high school students to experience the world before entering it, I'm lying out of my ass right now. I want to go to the Hoover Dam, and I don't care how I get there.

"Oh, well, I guess it's good you brought this up so early. I think that's very mature of you, and this gives us plenty of time to plan." She clapped her hands together. "Yes, oh, uh... I think I'm going to talk to your father about this."

I nodded, watching her leave again. But she returned half a second later.

"I almost forgot. I came out here to tell you dinner will be done in twenty minutes. And that doesn't mean start coming inside and washing your hands in twenty minutes, young man."

"I'm coming in now." I scoffed, but waited until she'd gone to get up. I looked back to the old, beat up car and shook my head. A road trip. I'm going to have to wait a month before I get the chance to talk to Sector Seven- the bastards -but that doesn't mean I can't do _something_ in the meanwhile. In fact, I've already started pressing buttons and pulling switches online. I'm digging deep in just the right places to find any trace of alien involvement here on Earth, or the activities of anyone that's involved with the Autobots after they'd arrived. And right now, I'm exchanging emails with the one and only Sarah Lennox. Of course, she thinks it's a part of some high-school project, that I'm one of several students that are supposed to find a real soldier to write a personal report on. The last email I got from her was confirmation that Will was alright with me doing my 'project' on him. That was yesterday.

Which means his base in Qatar has not been attacked by Decepticons.

As I sat down at the table, Dad made a show to exaggerate my arrival. "Oh, the great Witwicky boy has finally decided to grace us with his presence. Since you got that car you've barely been able to acknowledge us."

I decided to ignore this, as I recognized it as a phrase only the parents of a teenager would say, proving the fact that teenagers don't come up with their attitude all on their own. They're fishing for an eye roll, a snarky comment, and a nasty look. Instead, all he got was the eye roll and me stuffing my face. There really isn't anything I can say to that which won't result in him getting irritated with my insubordination, my making a fool of myself, or my trying to come off as snooty- which is an adjective Mom's been using to describe me a lot since I 'came' here -so I'm just going to keep my mouth shut.

"Right. Not like we're going to see much of you this summer either, hu? A road trip? How exactly do you plan to pull that off, anyways?" Dad stuck his fork in his mouth, giving me a skeptic look. I can already tell he thinks I'm not up for it. "Where are you going to get the money for it? Gas money, hotel money, eating, and whatever other shit you're going to do or get."

"I've still got a thousand saved up." I answered easily.

"And is that going to last you? Where are you going to go? Sam, you can't be serious about something like this. I mean, your car is great for a first car, but not if you're planning something like this. You're going to break down two states away and we're going to have to come all the way out there to get you." He began to lay out all the reasons he'd decided this was a bad idea, not really expecting me to have a comeback any more viable than 'But Dad!'

"I plan on sleeping in my car. It's not cold out, and there's space." I answered as if it were obvious. "I'm pretty sure a thousand bucks is more than I need. And I'm going out to the Hoover Dam. I'm not going anywhere special. Not even that far."

"And what's so special about the Hoover Dam?" He asked. "Photoshop a picture of yourself in front of it."

"Ron, it isn't the same. He wants to have some independence." Mom scoffed.

"Yeah." I agreed. "It's just somewhere to go. I don't actually want to go anywhere, I just want the trip."

"A trip, all on your own. For no reason." Dad raised his eyebrows. "Alright, so we won't be going over two states to pick you up, but still."

"And the car isn't going to break down." I insisted, already farther along my plate than he was. "I've got a friend that's going to fix it up by then."

"A friend? That fixes cars? You're not talking about that Miles boy, are you?" Mom looked confused.

The reminder about him suddenly changed my mood and I had to sigh. Oh, jeeze. We grew apart pretty quickly after graduation, and now being around him, I realized why. He's my best friend, so he's always around, but he's so... well he's such a high schooler. I left that behind years ago in my chronology. I don't know how I'm going to handle him.

"No, no. God no." I shook my head. "It's someone else." Actually, I haven't asked her about it yet. I haven't asked her about it yet. Honestly, I haven't done more than drive her home from that party yet. She's ditched Trent, and for some reason, she's as interested in me as she'd been when I was a stupid, fumbling teenager trying to act macho. I don't give a shit about acting macho now, and I know that at the time, that's what she'd liked.

"Is Miles going with you on this trip? Oh, this would be a nice time for you two to hang out. That boy used to come over all the time." Mom smiled.

"Yeah. Not since Sam was in middle school." Dad gave her an unimpressed look. "Miles is an idiot."

"Ron." She glared at him.

"No, it's alright." I insisted. "He's an idiot. But he's my friend, so I don't care." I tried to close the conversation. "And no, he isn't. This is all on my own."

"Alright. We'll talk about this more when your car is fixed up." Dad decided. "I'm not going to give the okay on this until I see you're responsible enough to handle this, and that the car can handle it."

"Hold on now, I'm interested in this other friend of yours." Mom put a hand on the table. "My baby is making new friends? I get so worried about you, being so alone."

"Mom, I'm fine." I scoffed. "And she isn't exactly a new friend, I've known her since elementary school. More like an acquaintance, anyways. It isn't like we're going to start playing video games together, she's fixing my car."

"She?" Mom jumped on this immediately. I only then remembered how concerned with sex my parents are. Maybe not so directly, but they concern themselves with my dating life rather thoroughly.

"A friend." I gave her a look she didn't understand at all. No. I am not dating Michaela, and I no longer have any interest in doing so. In my chronology, I did date her. And I broke up with her- it was a mutual thing -and the fascination with it is no longer there. She'll make a great friend, by all means, but I'm not going there again.

"What's her name?" Dad asked, not even catching the look that Mom was rather disoriented by. I looked back to my food, but didn't even answer before Mom regained herself and went back on the advance.

"Is this the girl you've had a crush on forever?"

What a loaded question. Yes, at this point in time, I did have a long-standing crush on her. But her pants are the last thing on my list right now.

"It's complicated."

"And what does that mean? Is she or is she not?" Mom demanded.

"I used to have a crush on her. For a very long time." I allowed, setting my silverware down, finished. "But I don't know. I don't have any interest in going out with her. I really do just want her to fix my car up."

"Uh-hu. Sure." Mom started laughing. Wow. The parents of a teenager are as close-minded as the teenager themselves.

"Really." I gave her a flat look. "She's nice, but there are several things I'd rather do before going on another date with her."

"Another?" She jumped on this immediately.

"Judy, you don't need to be prying into our son's social life like this." Dad attempted to reel her in half-heartedly.

I should just get up and walk away now, but that would just confirm her hopes. Make her think I'm trying to hide the fact I do want to go out with Banes. But I don't, and there's really no way around that.

"Another date, period. Especially one with her. I haven't ever been out with her." I put my hands up. "There was a verbal comma you missed there." I lied.

"Right." She wagged her eyebrows. "When did you two lovebirds go out?"

"Mom." I kept a straight, calm face because this conversation really doesn't matter to me. And I guess I should play along and make it seem like I'm a regular teenager, but if I were cornered into doing that, I think I'd rather get locked up by S-7. "I have never been on a date with Michaela Banes. She barely knows who I am, and I have different interests right now. The last thing I need is to get distracted by a girlfriend."

"Sam, do you have a boyfriend?" Dad asked, dead serious.

This time my face was compromised and I stared at him incredulously. Have I ever given reason to suggest I swing that way? "No."

"I'm not judging. I just find it incredibly hard to believe that a seventeen year old boy isn't trying to get into a girl's pants."

"Dad!" I moaned. Really. Parents are embarrassing, no wonder I don't have any anymore.

"Ron, didn't you just tell me to get out of our son's sex life?" Mom asked, smug.

"Mom!" I groaned, and stood up quickly. "I don't want a girlfriend, I don't want a boyfriend, I want a road trip. Is that really that hard to believe? Just a man, his car, and the road."

"He just called himself a man. That's adorable." Mom giggled.

"You've got a couple years to go, son." Dad started laughing with her. "And clearly you need to get laid."

I took a deep breath and shook my head, simply leaving the room. The niche around a teenager is very specific.

Sitting back on my bed, I pulled my laptop in front of my and checked for a reply from Sarah. I haven't told her anything yet, and I don't know if I'm going to. Until I find the Autobots- or at least evidence of their existence -anyone I tell about where I come from or what I'm doing is going to think I'm crazy. They're going to think crazy is hereditary and I took after my great grandfather... Archibald... Witwicky...

Friggin' slag. He went crazy because he found Megatron. No evidence of Autobots or Decepticons on Earth yet, and yet he still went crazy.

I immediately started looking up all the public records I could find of him, initiating research like there's no yesterday.

Lights out. House shutdown. Streetlights on. Ten at night, and I had just fit another piece into my puzzle. Archibald Witwicky came home from that Arctic venture just as crazy as the records in my continuity say, but of course it doesn't say why. But where I come from, there weren't any public records about the discovery of 'NBE-01'. His glasses sat next to me on the bed, from where I'd fished them out of the mess under my bed. I never put the stuff away after that genealogy report... which I didn't give this time around. I actually zapped into this continuum sitting in Dad's car holding a paper that read A-.

After shining a flashlight through them, a laser pointer, and just looking through them, I came to the conclusion that I can't tell the difference between Cybertronian coordinates etched so thinly and a fine web of cracks. It could honestly be either. I'd make someone disappointed for failing to recognize the difference on these freaking things, but I'm not sure who. Ratchet? Jazz? Maybe Wheeljack, but I'm not sure.

So that's just something I've got to file away for when I get to S-7.

I was getting tired by now, but I had one more thing I wanted to check. I've brought the window up a dozen times since I got out of school, but it's currently the most important of all my irons in the fire. I have to watch it carefully, keeping a close eye and not letting it get too hot, because I want to keep it under control. Emailing the faculty of the Hoover Dam about 'NBE' and the likes in an anonymous email- Jazz at least insured I could make myself anonymous because he felt for some reason that it's incredibly important -is a very finicky move. They could think I'm crazy and have no idea about S-7. Sector Seven might not even exist- though I highly doubt it doesn't -and then they'd really think I'm crazy. Or, perhaps they'll have read it, passed it around, the actual S-7 would have seen it and deemed me a threat to their security. In that worst case scenario, they'd be doing everything they can to track me down and bring me in. Which they might be able to do, since I don't put an excessive amount of faith in my hacking abilities.

Still no reply. I sent it two days ago, and I haven't even gotten an email back saying not to email there again because I'm bat shit crazy. I'm not sure if that's a good sign or a bad sign, honestly. I only listed off a few high-security words and names, and left them with the endnote, "I know all about this operation, and I need your help. You can expect me within the next few weeks asking to see 'Seymour Simmons', and I will claim my name to be 'Sam'."

That's it. I'm going to start asking everyone around there for Simmons, and when people start asking my name, I'm just going to say Sam. Hopefully they'll get the idea.

I shut the laptop and slid it under my bed. I've got this entire situation under control, and yet, I can't help but to be terrified it's all for nothing. If Archibald went crazy because of the cold, and Sector Seven doesn't exist, then there's no telling the Autobots do either. And at the same time, it could just be that Cybertron as a whole has never had contact with Earth. Whether they have or not- whether there's even a war or not -I'll stop at nothing to find them and convince them of my situation. If I can't get their help in returning to the proper continuity, then I refuse to settle for any less than staying with this version of them. This war is my life. They are my family.

* * *

I'm not trying to make any negative rifts or anything between him and his parents. This isn't a woe is me story. They've just... drifted apart and I'm trying to get across the point that things have happened between them, and the conscious decision has been made to abdicate relations between them for reasons, and there really aren't even lingering sentiments any more than Sam holds toward anyone. He'd do just about anything to save their lives, sure, but he would for most humans. Because he's an Autobot, and that's what they do.

But that isn't the important part of the story. So now I have that established, I hope you can keep that in mind.

I'm only one chapter ahead this time, so I'm not sure how quickly updates will be coming out. Second semester is about to start again, and this time I'll have more work to focus on. That and I have a job at the planetarium (yes!)

Please, express to me rather explicitly how you feel about this new story and the mindless ramblings you may have thought of while reading it. Please tell to me your assumptions on where this is going, or perhaps to exactly what extent you don't understand something. Please, review. Thank you.


	2. Repairing the Destroyer

I'm currently about 3/4 through chapter 3. I will be writing on this as long as it holds my fancy, which is to say hopefully a while. Thank you so much for the quick reviews, by the way. They made me very happy, and I can only hope you enjoy this chapter too.

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"You're here to see my daughter?" The gruff man asked, polishing some something he had in his hands. I didn't interact with him in my own chronology, so this exchange was probably going as awkward as it would if I really have only lived seventeen years and had just asked Mr. Banes if his daughter was in.

"Yes, sir. I have something I want to ask her." I nodded respectfully. The parents of teenagers are still parents of teenagers, even if you aren't. I can't approach him and have a respectable conversation, wowing him with my heightened sense of maturity and diplomacy developed after dealing with dozens of single-minded politicians with the law on their side. I've got to deal with this man like he's the father of a girl who likes to date.

"And what is it you want to ask my daughter?" He asked, glowering down at me. The intimidation factor. Repeatedly referring to her as 'my daughter' gives him a show of dominance, a clear claim over her and flaunting the fact that if I want anything to do with her, I've got to go through him. But at the same time, it's a bit demeaning. She does have a name.

"Michaela is skilled with cars, isn't she? I was hoping I could convince her to help fix mine up for the road trip I'm planning directly after the school year." I answered explicitly.

"I see. You aren't looking to ask her out, you're looking to bum a free car job off her, hu?" He pulled his eyebrows together and jabbed his chin out.

"At least a discounted job. I've been in the same class with her since elementary school, and I now she's got to be good. I'm really looking forward to this trip, sir." I nodded, not trying to make myself look bigger at all. It isn't often I do, being as I usually have a ten foot alien robot standing behind me. This time, however, I don't.

"Familiarity doesn't mean discounts, son. You bring your car into my garage, you pay the full price. And you're clearly mistaken, she doesn't work here until this summer anyways. Focusing on her school work." He insisted.

"I understand. The end of the year is a busy time, sir, and we've got a lot of tests coming up. Lots of homework. But I've noticed she's been struggling in her social studies classes, and I was hoping to strike a bargain with her."

"Dad, who's there?" A voice came from behind him. His expression changed and he glanced back into the office. It's the weekend now, and I knew she'd be here at this hour.

"One of your little friends from school." He answered. "Lookin' to talk with you."

"So help me, if that's Trent..." She huffed, pushing herself into the doorway too fully ready to start yelling at me, but came up short when she recognized me where she expected her ex to be. "Sam?"

"Hi, Michaela. Look, I know we don't exactly talk much at school or anything, but I was wondering if you could do me a favor." I changed direction, speaking directly to her. I also know it's better to get her favor by working it out with her directly instead of with her father. I just didn't want him to kick me on the curb before I got to speak with her.

She looked me over apprehensively. "Uh-hu." She nodded to her father, who shrugged and went back inside. She took his place blocking my way into the office, which from what I understand is usually where they talk with clients. It's not like I'm standing on their front porch or anything. "What do you want?"

"I want you to work on my car."

She looked surprised, glancing back inside and quickly pushing me back so she could shut the door and stand outside with me. "What are you talking about? What makes you think I could work on your car?"

"You're a pretty good mechanic, aren't you? And I need to fix my car up by the end of the year, so my Dad gives me the okay to go on this road trip I'm planning. He doesn't think it will last a day, but I'm really looking forward to this thing." And now I talk like a student. Like we may be in cahoots, and we're on the same level here.

"I don't exactly boast about my skills around school. How'd you know about that?" She demanded.

I pursed my lips, raising my eyebrows. "I'm not sure, I've had it in my head a while that you know how to work with cars. Will you help me out?"

"If I get caught fixing your piece of shit up, it would ruin my image." She stated, as if making a point and not actually caring if people realized she were more than a pretty face.

"And you'd rather people think you're a dumb teenager? What do you care?" I called her out on it. "I've got a thousand bucks, but I'd rather keep most of it for the trip. It means a lot to me. So I was hoping we could work out real cheap price, and I'd be more than happy to do your homework the rest of the year."

"The rest of the year? Now I know you're messing with me. And where do you get off coming and asking for me like we're friends? I didn't even know you exist until you tried to pick me up the other day." She crossed her arms.

"I did pick you up." I pointed out. "I gave you a ride home. And it isn't like I'm asking for a free job or anything."

She nodded, watching me curiously. "Yeah, what's with that? I thought you had a crush on me. You know, watching me all the time since we started high school, and jumping real quick after I dumped Trent. And now you're acting like you're more interested in going out with your car than me."

"No offence, but I kind of am." I shrugged, dodging her attempt at humiliating me. "The last thing I want is for Doc to break down out in Nevada and have to call my Dad to pick me up. I know you, and I'm sure we can work out a deal here. How about it?" I held out a hand. She looked me over skeptically this time. Her eyes landed on my hand, and back up to my face.

"You do my con. law homework and my politics project, and how much are you offering?"

Just that? Awesome. I hate writing, so I'm pretty happy she isn't pushing her College Composition work onto me. "Two hundred?"

She frowned. "How much work does it need?"

"I'm not the car person, you are. All I know is it's old, and I really want to go on this trip."

She was quiet a moment, before tilting her head. "Where are you going?"

"Hoover Dam."

She made a face. "Why?"

"I have my reasons. It isn't that far, but it's still worth seeing. I'm more in it for the independence." I tried to answer like I were telling the truth. She can't read me like the version of her I'm used to can, so I have no idea if she can tell I'm lying.

"Alright. Two hundred is good, I haven't had a project in a while anyways." She nodded, but didn't shake my hand yet. "But one more condition."

"What's that?" I narrowed my eyes automatically. That's never good, and I started to retract my hand. Now is the time to be cautious, but I'm not sure if there's anything that will detour me from the opportunity of finding my family.

"I'm going with you."

I blinked in surprise, but quickly masked it out of instinct.

"Why?"

"I like the idea. The freedom and independence. I've got a couple hundred saved up from working at the garage over the summers for just a trip like this, but I don't have a car yet. Take it or leave it, Witwicky." She raised her eyebrows, offering her hand this time.

I shook it. "Deal."

She gave a smile and hummed. "Sure I can't convince you to go somewhere else?"

"I'm sure. I have another reason for going to the Hoover anyways." I smiled back. She nodded and leaned around to look behind me.

"That's it, right? Let me have a look. Tell me what you've noticed about it so far." She was suddenly at ease and I briefly wondered about how fate works. In my original continuum, she and I stumbled into Sector Seven together, and now, it seems we will again. Only this time, she knows a considerate amount less than I do.

We worked out a schedule. She said she'd have it finished by the end of the year, and I'm holding her to that. After I made it explicitly clear that I don't have any interest in pulling one over on her, she showed off that spiteful sense of humor and decided to flaunt me. Since her Dad doesn't have the space in their garage for an off-the-records job, she would ride home with me after school and work on the car, then I'd drive her home later on. Trent watches and glares every time she gets into my car. I gave her a key to get in even if she gets there before me. If she does, she starts it up and makes me sit in the passenger seat, which I don't mind. Honestly, I don't all that much care for driving anyways. I always preferred a car that drove itself.

Mom kept trying to come into the garage with milk and cookies, or some other juvenile snack to wag her eyes and me and nod towards Mikaela behind her back. She and Dad both try to bring conversation towards Michaela at dinner, after I come back from dropping her off. But no amount of explicitly stating that we aren't dating would get through to either of them. I've decidedly not told either of them my road trip is no longer a solo one.

Doc is driving significantly better, and I don't doubt her at all when she says she'll have it finished by the end of the year. We've got eight days of school left, six not including the half-days used for finals. Despite this, she's staying at my house later and later as the deadline approaches. We even have a bet going. If she gets it done by seven the last day of school, I buy us both our first meal once we hit the road. If she doesn't, she buys it.

I sat on by the workbench with my laptop out. Sometimes she needs help with something that I can do, so I stay in here to be useful. Other than that, it's part of our routine. We hang out in here and talk, or just work until she's done for the day.

"What are you always doing, typing away on that thing?" She asked, at ease around me by now. As soon as we leave the school, she drops the sexy, preppy school girl act and pins her hair up, and pulling tennis shoes out of her bag to replace the ridiculous high heels she insists on wearing.

"I'm emailing a friend." I answered. Sarah has been giving me a bunch of information and answering my bull shit questions for this 'project' I'm doing. She's questioned how close to the end of the school year this is, but I just tell her that it's our final project, to replace the test. I'm still trying to establish a connection here, and trying to figure out what's going on with him currently. She's even enclosed some messages from him directly.

"Your girlfriend?" She teased. I rolled my eyes. I actually think the tides have turned and she has a crush on me now. I'm not too surprised, because once we got to know each other, we genuinely did like each other. Now she's relaxed and gotten to actually know me, and I very well might be the first boy that didn't throw himself at her feet. But if she stays in on this escapade, when we meet Sector Seven she might realize why I'm not interested and be alright with that.

"No. She's the wife of a soldier I'm researching." I answered honestly.

"Why are you researching a soldier? Is it something Mr. Moralles is having you do?" We have different Political Participation teachers, but they have the same projects going on now. That's why she was skeptical about that.

"No. It isn't for school."

She nodded, putting the water bottle down and walking back towards the car. Sometimes, like just now, I expect her to keep questioning, but she just stops and goes back to whatever she'd been doing before. Considering I left it wide open for further investigation, I never actually told her why I was researching a soldier, I wonder what she's thinking. Is she catching on that I'm hiding something, or is it she just doesn't care and is making conversation?

"What did you do to these things?" She asked, sitting in the front seat and messing with the air conditioning console. "I just fixed them."

"I tested them out after I dropped you off last night, and the entire thing sparked. Nearly caught the seats on fire." I answered, drumming my fingers over the keyboard. "I meant to bring that up already."

"Shit, Sam." She shook her head. "I told you to turn it on while the heat's up, then move it over to conditioning."

"That's what you get for doing shoddy fixes. You're cutting corners to meet the deadline." I wagged my eyebrows over the edge of my laptop. She glared right back. "Right. Back to work."

"Yeah, because I'd have to rewire the entire console. I'm fixing it again, but it isn't going to change. Just turn it over to heat when you turn the car off, then you won't forget." She warned. I shrugged, not giving an answer.

I never got a response from the Hoover personnel about my message. I really hope it reached people in Sector Seven. To be honest, I have no idea if the Hoover Dam Police would have anything to do with Sector Seven. I would think that they know of them, at the very least. I just hope they got the hint and passed the message along. I also kind of hope Michaela doesn't botch up my chances here.

There was a knock on the door- as I'd finally convinced Mom and Dad to do before entering -before it opened. Mom walked in and sat down to bowls of broccoli soup and breadsticks.

"You missed dinner again. You two sure are busy out here, hu?" Mom smirked at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, thank you Mrs. Witwicky." Michaela gave Mom one of her sickeningly sweet smiles. "You didn't have to."

"That's alright, dear. I didn't want to be rude and feed my son without feeding you if you're still here for dinner. You do like broccoli, don't you?"

"Yes." Michaela nodded. "I love it."

"Well I'll just leave you two alone, then." Mom gave me another look. That look. I get it almost every day now. It's kind of annoying. Given the fact I don't feel any obligation or connection to these people as my parents, it's more annoying than anything. I no longer find this to be a nice reminder of when I was their son. More like an irritating obligation to keep up pretenses. I wish I could move out without it being suspicious.

After she'd gone, Michaela finished the air condition console again and slipped out toward her bowl. "You're mom is so nice."

"Yeah." I shrugged.

"Are you having problems at home or something?" She asked, not even being sarcastic now. "You don't seem to get along with them very well."

"No, no. They're fine. We haven't even argued in several days." I shrugged. "You're just imagining things."

"Right." She scoffed. "You always look like she's your uninvited roommate, rather than an overbearing mother. It's like you don't even know her or something."

"How observant of you." I tried to brush it off. "She does annoy me. But most parents do that to their teens. They cause irritation like a rash."

She raised her eyebrows and decided to drop it the way she does, going to start eating. I decided to set my laptop aside and pick up the bowl. I'm not that hungry right now anyways.

About half an hour later, she was shutting the hood again and lumping her tools into the trunk again. "Doc's almost done. He should be purring like a kitten now." She tossed the keys to me, indicating it was my turn to drive. "Why'd you name it Doc anyways? Usually people name their cars after girls."

"It's an acronym. D.O.C.." I shrugged, moving around to get into the driver's side and punching the garage door button.

"Well what does that stand for, then?" She scoffed. "Delicious Onion Colony?" She started laughing and I laughed with her. "Dominate Organ Correction?"

I rolled my eyes at that one. "Yes. That's exactly what it means."

"Well what does it mean? Is it a secret?"

I shrugged. "Not really. It means Destroyer of Continuities. More of a spiteful title than anything."

"From one of those stupid video games then." She decided, and I didn't respond. Not exactly. "I like Doc better anyways."

"It figures. You're more the doctor here anyways, healing it like that."

She scoffed. "I'm a mechanic, I'm not exactly doing medical procedures."

No, you aren't. If you were, the mechanics would be a bit different, and the car wouldn't be a slagging car.

* * *

Well? I'm not usually a fan of Michaela in my stories, but she'll probably be playing her biggest role ever in this one. And yet she really isn't a main character still. More like a temporary protagonist, honestly. I've decided that I like her as much as I like Sam in the movies... not much at all. I have created my own 'cannon' version of Sam, so why not do the same for her? I love the opportunity she presents, and I love her as a non-romantic character that dares to be apprenticed to Ratchet because he likes her potential, and she can handle his attitude. So here, she will be a friend of Sam's, involved with the Autobots, but not a sex symbol who's only purpose is romantic interest.

So how did you like her? How do you like what Sam's doing? Please, I'll only know if you tell me.


	3. On the Last Day

Well, I published the second chapter before I received the anonymous review, so I apologize for any times I didn't fix the mentioned mistakes. I actually love when people are able to actually critique my work and give helpful ways to fix it. For the questions, Ron isn't abusive or anything of Sam. He's just more of the 'tough love' parent, and he's fully ready to engage his teenage son in sarcastic and cutting conversations, which he expects from Sam. Sam, however, has had a few years since he was a sarcastic teen that initiated such conversations. In actuality, Ron is scared to let Sam go on the trip because this will be the first time Sam has left home on his own.

Also, Sam is fully human in this story. I would work it in to make a show that he is human, but I'm not sure how to make that obvious until the Autobots come in. So I'm going to straight up tell you he's human this time and wears the title 'Autobot' rather than the species.

Also, as a small side note, I find it somewhat humorous that the spelling of Mikaela's name has come into question again. Once upon a time I always used the 'Mikaela' spelling, and I had someone else insist I use the 'Michaela' spelling. So I started using it more, but honestly if you read through my stories in which she is involved, I alternate between the two randomly. It truly doesn't matter to me which I use, because I've known people who use both spellings. However, I will put forth the effort to use 'Mikaela' from now on.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

You can always tell the difference between the end of a normal school day and the end of the entire year, even if you're an innocent bystander on the sidewalk after the final bell. It's chaos outside, and everyone's in a rush to escape. What usually over thirty minutes to empty the building of minors, today only took ten minutes flat. The parking lot was congestion incarnated, and most dangerous of all, people are braver today than any other day before.

Trent intercepted my advance towards the Chevrolet Citation. From here, I could see Mikaela sneaking in a few touch-ups on the passenger side door- which still sticks annoyingly. As far as I'm aware, that's the only thing that still needs to be fixed. Nevertheless, it's part of the bet too.

"Hey." I greeted the massive football player.

"Hey yourself. What do you think you're doing with Mikaela?" He asked.

"Fixing my car?" I tried, knowing full and well he wouldn't believe it. There could have been terrible gossip about the two of us, if Mikaela hadn't told her friends- the popular kids -that she's using me to annoy Trent. Most people believe it, but he stubbornly insists that it's working.

"Right. You realize she's way too hot for you, right? It's just sad watching you flirt with her." He laughed.

"I guess it would be, if I were flirting with her." I agreed. "Because I'm not."

"Is that supposed to be a joke? Are you being a smart ass?" He towered over me threateningly. Ha. No. I'm not looking for a fight, I just want to go home and present this car to my Dad to get his approval. I don't think he'll be able to deny Mikaela's handiwork. Because if he still refuses to let me go, it will be a direct insult onto her, and she's got both my parents smitten.

"You know what? I am. I'm stumbling over myself like an idiot. She's probably going to give it to me straight tonight and I'll be crying in my room like a baby all summer." I sidestepped and started to go around him. He stuck an arm out to stop me, glaring.

"You better watch that attitude. It's going to get you into a lot of trouble." He glared.

"I've been in worse." I ducked under his arm.

"Watch yourself, Wicktickity." He shouted after me. "I'd hate for something to happen to that precious car of yours."

As I slipped into the passenger side seat, Mikaela glared past me towards Trent, who was still staring. "He touches Doc and he'll have to answer to me."

"Yeah, he isn't actually going to do anything. It's an empty threat."

"I don't know. He can be pretty thick sometimes, and if he thinks he can get away with it, he might do it."

I shut the door, noting how the dent was smaller. I hope she has a more strategic way of working on it than kicking at the inside of the door. "I think that's cheating, working on it while we're still at school."

"I have until seven, no one said I couldn't start until we got to the garage." She started it up. "Don't tell me you're a sore loser?"

I snorted. "We'll see." Actually, she'll probably have it done five minutes after we get there. I really didn't doubt her skills.

At six twenty-eight, we stood side-by-side to admire the vehicle that would take us to the Hoover Dam very soon. Fixed and completed, with half an hour to spare, the only two indications that it had ever been in such terrible shape to begin with were the hammer indentations on the door that beat it into a much flatter surface that allowed the door to open with ease, and the radio sitting between the front two seats. Fixing the radio was beyond her area of expertise, so instead I'd brought one down from my room.

"You think it will pass inspection?" She asked, grinning over at me.

"I don't see why not." I smiled back. "But there's only one way to find out. Are you packed and ready to leave?"

"I've been ready since we put new tires on the front." She scoffed. "Are you? I don't want to have to wait around while you pack all your magazines."

"I'm packed. Then are we waiting a day or ditching this place tomorrow?" I'd leave tonight if she weren't coming.

I held the front door open for her and when she didn't answer, I knew it was because my parents were in the room. She's agreed to pretend like she wasn't coming with me, though she doesn't care if they know or not.

"You two are coming in pretty early." Dad greeted from his chair. "The whole thing finally fall apart and you decided to give up?" He laughed.

"No, actually we're done." I contradicted. "It's ready."

"I'll be the judge of that." He stood up and held a hand out for the keys. Mikaela tossed them to him.

"Just don't turn the air conditioning on." She warned.

He gave us a look that told me he'd found a reason not to give an 'okay' on my trip. "You're not going to have air conditioning in the middle of May?"

"It isn't that hot yet." I crossed my arms, stepping aside to let him to the front door. "And it does work. But there's a trick to it."

"Mm-hm." He hummed, narrowing his eyes. Mom was nowhere to be seen, and as we went outside I realized their car wasn't in the driveway. She must be out grocery shopping then.

After Dad was inside and had it started up, he became distracted by checking out as much of it before actually driving as possible. I stood with Mikaela by the wall, watching him slowly pull out.

"So tomorrow?" I asked, as that upset face came over Dad when he realized just how well it did drive now.

"Yeah." She agreed.

He isn't going to like this, but he'll have to get over it. Back when I was seventeen and we were still a family, he was even reluctant to admit he was nervous about me going to college. Between the two of them, Dad always seems to be the cool, stand-offish one. He even went as far as to act like he was a mean parent. But I know he just fears how well I'll handle the real world once I graduate. That's actually one of the reasons we started to fall apart; he always treated me like I couldn't handle the real world, even though I was a respected member of the Autobots and in the middle of a war.

He reluctantly gave the go-ahead on my trip when he pulled back in a few minutes later. After a compliment on Mikaela's handiwork, a quick grilling on my plans again, he finally gave a smile and a nod.

"You'll be just fine." He admitted. "Keep your cellphone charged and on hand, and if you do run into any trouble, call us."

"I will." I promised, partly. If I run into any trouble that you can help with, I'm sure I'll go to you for help. But if Sector Seven is giving us a hard time, I don't think you're going to be much help. Sorry.

He pat my shoulder and sighed. "Alright. So when are you headed out? Monday? That will give you the weekend to pack."

"I'm already packed. I was actually thinking about heading out tomorrow." His alarmed face made me a bit guilty, but no less determined. "Sooner I leave the sooner I get back to do other stuff this summer."

"Right." He didn't object any farther. "Your mother should be bringing home some snacks for you to take on the road. Did you thank Mikaela for all this work she did? I won't be having you ungrateful."

"I did. And I'm repaying her in kind." I insisted. "By the way, you want me to take you home yet?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I have a couple things I need to do tonight anyways."

"Alright then. We'll probably have another talk when your mother gets home. We're ordering take out tonight for dinner." Dad awkwardly nodded and ducked out of the garage. Mikaela handed me the keys and nodded towards the vehicle.

Sitting behind the wheel, I tried to imagine where we'll be this time tomorrow night. Well... if we gunned it and took the quickest route to the dam, we'd probably be there. But that possibility went out the window about a week and a half ago.

On our way back to her house for the last time, she decided to show off the map she printed off.

"We should get there Sunday then. This road is on construction, here, but there isn't an alternative route that won't add any less than two hours onto the journey." She pointed along the paper, and I didn't even care to look. "Is that acceptable to you?" She raised her eyebrows, knowing how much of a fuss I put up just to allow a more scenic route through the mountains. The Hoover doesn't interest her at all, so she convinced me to drive north through the mountains.

"That's fine." I sighed. What's one more day?

"Great. So what time are you picking me up then?" She folded the map and stuck it into her purse.

"My parents are planning on making me a lunch before I go, so sometime after one. Is your dad putting up a fuss?" I asked, slipping on the blinker.

"Yeah. But he's fine."

The car fell into silence, and my mind drifted back to how I'm going to break it to her. I have to tell her what I'm doing before we get to the Dam, and maybe I should give her a chance to decide I'm crazy before we leave? To back out?

I pulled to a stop in her driveway, the first time we've been here in the daylight hours in a while. She didn't come over every day, but the last two weeks at least, it was almost every day.

"What is it?" She asked, recognizing something was on my mind.

"I have something to tell you before we go on this trip." I hesitated, suddenly nervous on how this is going to sound. I have absolutely no way to prove the Autobots even exist. For all I know, honestly, my entire life and reason for existence could be nothing more than a story here; a book or a movie. The thought has crossed my mind before, but I find it rather unlikely.

"I know you're hiding something." Her face went sober, and I tilted my head defensively. "Every so often when our conversation takes a turn you don't like, you start talking less and less. You never did tell me what that other reason for going to the Hoover Dam was, but I know it's something that makes you unsure if I want to tag along."

I nodded. "And I should give you fair warning in case you don't want to get caught up in this." Not that she'll take it and leave.

"You finally going to talk? Well I'm all ears." She sat back, waiting expectantly.

"See, that's just it. If I told you, you'd call me crazy and I can't even deny it. But you should know you're about to go on a road trip with a crazy person."

"Try me." She jutted her chin out the exact same way her Dad had when I first approached her for the job. "You know things about me I know I never even told Trent. You've always been kind of a weird kid, and now, all of the sudden, you act like your thirty something with some top secret job you can't talk about. And it all started with this car."

I raised my eyebrows, glancing around. "Actually, it all started right before I got this car. I'm going to straight up tell you I've been through a whole lot, and something went wrong. I don't belong here, and there are some people at the Hoover Dam that are my best bet on getting home."

"That sounds an awful lot like you're claiming to be from the future." She put it together way too quickly. All of the sudden, those suspicious conversation drops she'd been doing confirmed that she was suspicious of me.

"I will neither confirm nor deny that." I answered with a straight face. She cracked a smile.

"You're a really weird kid." She repeated. "And I'm not sure if you honestly believe that or you're just rolling with it, but I don't think you're any sort of serial killer or anything. The trip is still on."

"When we get to the Hoover Dam, if you even act like you know me, we're either going to get arrested, or dragged into the kind of government agency conspirisists love. Are you alright with that?"

"I'm not afraid to be arrested." She frowned, deflating.

"I know. And if things go right, your juvy records will be gone too."

"See? That's what I'm talking about. No one, _no one_ knows about my records, and you just bring them up like it's no big deal. I still don't know what's going on with you, but that's the reason I'm going to trust you." She stuck a finger in my face. "So tomorrow, one o'clock?"

"Probably." I smiled. She slipped out the door and shut it, before ducking down to stick her head in the window.

"I'll see you then."

* * *

This one was a shorter chapter, but it felt like a good point to stop it at. Things are going to start rolling, and I don't have any of the next chapter written yet. You probably won't get two chapters in one day again, but I will continue to try and update as soon as possible. If one thing must be said about the way I update, it's incredibly irregular and unpredictable.

Please, tell me your thoughts on this chapter.


	4. Viva Las Vegas

Again, thank you everyone for the reviews! Expressing your ideas and guesses on what's happening is something I can only encourage. I swear, a certain reviewer of mine had all the ideas when I was running dry for half my stories. You'll never know when I'm stuck and I realize I dug myself a hole, so you never know when your idea is worked into my story. Even if it isn't, I'll admit some false assumptions have given me ideas for other stories. I also love the critics, because I feel these insignificant fanfictions help me improve my writing more than academic papers that I get peer reviewed and the only feedback I get is 'awesome job'. I don't get better with 'awesome job', not that I don't appreciate it.

And I know I said I probably won't be updating this story again today... but I don't think any of my stories have gotten this many reviews the first day it's been up. I got this done, and I had to post it. I hope you like it!

* * *

It's night by the time we stop halfway through Yosemite National Park. Mikaela didn't like the idea of sleeping in the car when we'd be stopping here for the night anyway, so the trunk was full with two small tents- I had one from when I was a kid and she went camping every other summer with her Dad -and our sleeping bags. We're getting an earlier start tomorrow, and we won't be stopping for the scenery- thank goodness -so we'll be at the Hoover getting business done tomorrow night. I suppose this is more comfortable than sleeping in the backseat, but honestly, I could be there already.

"What's got you so grumpy?" She asked, throwing my sleeping bag at me. I caught it and tried to hide my irritation at the lack of progress. I've been in this shitty continuity for over a month, which means it's been over a month since I seen a living being over six feet tall. I'd like to see you suddenly dropped several years into your past, before your father was let out of prison the last time. How would you fair then? Hm?

"I'm fine."

"Yeah. Did your girlfriend online dump you or something?" She demanded.

"She's not my girlfriend." I pointed a finger at her, and she rolled her eyes making it obvious she's just teasing. "I'm just thinking."

"About what? You're supposed to be enjoying yourself on this trip, not freaking out about getting arrested at the Hoover." She moved to start setting her tent up, but paused and snorted at mine. It's too small for me to stretch out in, but I fit if I bend my knees. Actually, I don't mind sleeping out in the open as long as it isn't going to rain. Sure I'd rather it be on warm metal than cold ground, but I've done it before. I would rather have the open sky than feel claustrophobic, even.

"I'm not using it." I decided, kicking it towards the car. The sky is clear anyway.

"Your funeral." She shrugged. "You thinking about actually telling me what's going on?"

"Are you going to freak out and make me drive you back?" I countered. I'm not making anymore detours.

"No. I just want to know what crazy story you've come up with to explain it all."

I just rolled the sleeping bag out near where the tent landed and sat down on it. Maybe I should sleep on the hood? No, it'd be cold metal.

"Alright. I was accidentally sent back from the future by a group of alien robots that have taken me in as one of their own. Except something about this continuity is wrong, because certain key events from my own past that should have taken place around the time I showed up here didn't happen, and now I'm trying to set things back on course and return to the continuum I come from." I summed it up as if telling a fictitious story.

She laughed. "The funny thing is, I think you're telling the truth. Or at least what you believe to be the truth." Her tent didn't take long to secure, it was just a bigger version of mine with the bendy-pole things. She sat just inside and crossed her legs. "So tell me, Mr. Adopted Alien, what was supposed to happen?

I might as well be honest at this point, because nothing is going to stop me from showing up at Sector Seven's doorstep tomorrow. And she seems to be humoring me. She probably still thinks I'm being sarcastic. Oh well.

"This wasn't the car I bought. The car I bought was supposed to be a '67 yellow Camaro with racing stripes and a terrible personality." I laughed fondly. "He's my best friend, and for some reason, he never showed up here."

"Let me guess, one of the 'alien robots'." She raised an eyebrow. I nodded. "Right. And you think these alien robots are going to be at the Hoover Dam, why?"

"They aren't going to be there, probably." I insisted. "There's a government agency known as Sector Seven there. They're jerks, and they're generally awful people since they've been picking at one of them for decades. Granted the one they have is a bad guy, but they still tried to capture my Camaro and freeze him. We got them cut, but right now, if they even exist here, they're the only ones with access to anything alien. Even if they have no way of getting my family's attention, they might still have Megatron and I could hack his communications while he's still frozen so I could try to contact my family."

"Right." She nodded, humoring me. "So the bad ones want to take over the Earth or destroy it?"

"Hu?" I frowned, not sure where that came from. Who cares about the Decepticons, I'm here for the Autobots.

"That's always how it is in movies, the aliens are either destroying the Earth or taking it over. So which is it?"

I raised my eyebrows, "I don't think they really care about Earth. I mean, they're pretty known for not liking humans and destroying things on Earth when it's in the way, but they're not really out to enslave the human race or anything. They're after my family and the Allspark. Megatron couldn't really care whether Earth survives or not."

She laughed and shook her head. "Kind of like how I don't care if you've lost your marbles or not. Just so I'm ready, what exactly do you plan to do when we get there?"

"I'm giving you the keys and going to try to find someone from Sector Seven."

"That's your plan? Giving me the car to drive back alone? What am I telling your parents? That you flew the coop?" She frowned at me.

"It doesn't really matter to me. Once I find the Autobots, I'll probably come back to tell them I'm moving on. But as I said, I don't belong there." I shrugged.

"Right. I'm going to have to keep my eye on you." She sighed, turning to sprawl out the sleeping bag. It's warm out, thankfully, so we won't get too cool tonight.

About an hour and a half later, she was snoring inside her tent, with the door zipped up tight, and the world rather quiet. I was staring up at the stars, recognizing all the constellations and easily able to find Cybertron's location in the constellation of Orion. Everyone in the Autobots has their field, their specialty. When I got caught in that malfunctioning pile of space bridge parts, I was still in basic training for all fields, but I had certainly already found my field. I'm their ambassador, their sort of liaison and spokesperson toward the governments of Earth, and whoever else wanted to speak with the Autobots. I spent a few hours a week with Optimus while he did the boring work that came with being a leader in alliance with an entire country. He told me stories and taught me of Cybertronian history, and I'd even started to read and write their language. That's my niche in the Autobot force; human-Autobot relations and Cybertronian culture expert. If we were to ever leave Earth, my entire position would be rendered moot. I can't even say for sure how many pamphlets on Cybertronian culture I'd printed out when an issue started to arise on base that the humans either didn't understand or refused to deal with.

But, of course, I had other areas I pursued in my studies recreationally. I put myself into full throttle reading and learning their star charts and maps. Knowing all the stars as they appear from Earth was one thing I learned as quickly and as well as I could. Memorizing Cybertron's location was, of course, the very first thing I did. Not that it was difficult. Cybertron layed ironically within the very constellation our leader had once been named for.

Now, that's not really true. Their names have no direct translations into English, now do they? Orion Pax was an appropriate name Optimus had found to translate from his former designation, and more than likely, he had chosen it because of Cybertron's apparent location in our skies.

Doubts on whether I have any chance at all on returning or ever finding them has constantly plagued me, but after tonight, I'm confident it's only a matter of time before either I find them, or they find me. Because had I opted to sleep inside of my flimsy, kid's tent, I never would have seen the series of meteors flashing through the sky in the blink of an eye. Sure, they could have been space rock, but in my experience... it's never just space rock.

In the morning, we dined on gummy worms my Mom had stuffed in our snack bag, and stuffed the supplies back into the trunk. I didn't dare tell her about the meteors, because it didn't change anything. I didn't have a chance on finding where they landed, and our destination is still the Hoover Dam.

We hit our first town again around lunchtime and grabbed some food, stopping to check the map and see how long we had until we finally got there.

"It looks like we should be able to get there in about three hours." Mikaela mused, then hesitated. "But down here is where it said there was road construction so it might be a bit longer. Unless, of course, you want to stop in Las Vegas." She smirked at me.

"We're both still legally underage, and don't have enough money for a sandwich in that city." I stated point-blank.

"I don't know, I kind of want to stop there for a minute."

"We are not stopping there." I denied.

"Come on, Sam. You're so uptight. We could drop into see one show or something. It'd be fun." She insisted. "Imagine what your Mom would say if you sent back a picture of us in front of one of the casinos?"

I rolled my eyes. I've been there before. Will's birthday, and he wanted to take all the Autobots to Las Vegas in their holoforms. They pinned me into going too, and I didn't have an arguement since I was over age. Granted, it was pretty fun. But remembering that just makes me miss the Autobots more, which makes me want to get to Sector Seven even faster.

"Fine. We'll only stop in for an hour." She groaned.

I stared at her skeptically. Seriously?

"Forty-five minutes." She tried again, attempting to strike a bargain. "Thirty."

"I'll take you to Las Vegas when we're both twenty one, how's that?" I tried to put the idea out of her head.

"If things go the way you're hoping, you won't be around then. You'll be back in whatever weird continuum you come from, or whatever." She threw a french fry at me.

"The me from this place will. We're the same person, he's just a bit more intimidated by you." I compromised.

"Uh-hu. Right."

"I swear, it'll be fun. But I don't want to stop right now." I pointed to the bottom end of the fat part of the Colorado River, right where it gets skinny. "This is where I want to go."

"I know." She sighed. "Thirty minutes in Las Vegas, that's my final offer. We stop into some gift store, take a few pictures, and you buy me a drink." She grinned.

"No, that's boring, and we're still both underage."

"You're obsessed with being underage! Come on. Wouldn't you like to act like we're both adults? I bet I could go in and they wouldn't even check my ID. We'll do something with your hair, so you don't look like such a nerd, and surely you brought something that looks older." She nodded behind us towards the car.

"It's a waste of time. I know what it's like being over age, and it isn't as much fun as you seem to think. Twenty-one isn't some magical age where you're suddenly adult enough for everything. It's that age when you're finally drinking alcohol legally and suddenly it isn't fun anymore."

"Right. Time travel. I forgot." She rolled her eyes. "Alright, you don't want to stop in Las Vegas, I guess I could run through a gift shop or something on my way back, after you get yourself arrested." She decided.

"And you definitely don't want to go there alone." I denied.

"You're sucking all the fun out of this, Sam." She glared.

"I'm not here to have fun." I haven't had fun in over a month.

She kept glaring at me, eating in silence, and I tried to ignore her. But her glare kept getting heavier and heavier, and to an outsider, we probably looked like I just killed her firstborn.

"Fine! Thirty minutes." I finally caved. "But I'm timing you, and I'm driving."

"Deal." She was immediately smirking at me and standing, tossing out her trash and coming back around to the picnic table. I was taking my time, and she cleared her throat.

"What?"

"You're the one in a hurry, Mr. Adopted Alien." She gestured to the car. I sighed and threw my bag out as I lead the way back to Doc. We've had a nice time with this car, and if I didn't have such high standards, I'm sure I'd love this thing. But as it is, I still despise the vehicle and blame all of my problems on it. I'll be so happy to be rid of it when we're done.

All too quickly, Las Vegas was coming into view. It wasn't night, like it had been the last time I entered this city. So the spectacle wasn't quite as impressive, but it was still quite a sight. Slowing down as we came into the city, Mikaela was quick to pick out exactly where we would be stopping. I kept an eye on the clock, not allowing for any more than thirty minutes out of our way.

"Turn here." She indicated randomly, and we spent several minutes merely driving around. "Turn left." She insisted, changing it up slightly. I was about to point out that we were already spending too much time just driving around, she made us stop in front of one of those big casinos that you see in commercials. "Alright, let's take a picture." She grinned at me, grabbing her phone quickly.

I sighed and cut the engine, getting out. But instead of giving me her phone to take the picture, she pulled me around and set the phone on the hood of the car with a timer. We stopped at one other elaborate building for the same thing, before we went into a random gift shop. I kept looking at the clock, counting our time. It's nearly three o'clock already, and we're _so close_.

"Stop looking like you hate being here." Mikaela popped up in front of me again, a plastic bag hanging from her arm.

"Then let's go already." I insisted.

"Hey. I've always wanted to come here, alright? My parents got married here, you know." She stated, walking past me to the car again.

"Oh really? My parents got married in town." I supplied. "Great, hu?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, way to show interest in your travel partner. Whatever you're looking for at the Hoover Dam will be there whether we get there an hour early or an hour late. And try to remember that this stop is part of what's paying for your car, remember?"

"Your car." I denied. "I don't want it after we get there."

"Yes, because you have an alien robot car. How can I forget?" She laughed, sliding into the passenger's side seat and dropping the shopping bag in her lap. I took the driver's side again and started it up, backing out of the parking place awkwardly. We were on the road again, and as we left the city, I felt my nerves only get tighter. I fear what I'm going to find there. What if everything I hope is there isn't, and it really is just a Dam? How am I going to find the Autobots then?

The distance between each landmarks are getting shorter, and my reluctance to arrive is getting stronger. And yet, I didn't manage to find the time to even contemplate what I might do if this is a wild goose chase, because it took less than an hour to bring the Hoover Dam into our horizon.

* * *

I'm sure some people wanted to read about the departure, but I was starting to get bored with the story at that part. When I start to get bored, I know from past experiences it only leads to forgetting the story for a few months. So instead, I've started to skip ahead to parts that seem a bit more entertaining to write.

So far, all of this has been expository. The next chapter will be rising action. Well... rising action kind of started in this chapter, to be honest. The specs of this story foretell direct Autobot involvement, and I will not disappoint. But since the next chapter will be answering a lot of questions, I want to see as many theories as to what's going on as possible. I've already got a few, and I will neither confirm nor deny the validity of any of them. So please, review and tell me what you think made this timeline so different? And what exactly happened to make Sam go back in time to begin with?

:o)


	5. Dam

I intentionally took longer to put this chapter out. But you'll be happy to know, I am currently writing chapter 9. So I am several ahead of this chapter here, and there will be no excuses for a month long hiatus without warning in the middle of the story.

Thank you so much for the reviews! I loved reading the theories, but I'm afraid no one's quite hit the ball on the nose. If you want to keep guessing after this chapter, I'd love to hear what you think. That in mind, there is a major clue as to exactly what's changed in this continuity in this chapter.

I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

It was three forty when we pulled into the parking for the Hoover Dam. Before we went to sign up for a tour or anything, we walked up to get a good view without going too far. I didn't even feel bothered to be wasting time here, just staring. This place was familiar. After Sector Seven was disbanded, it had been turned into a minor NEST base location. This is a place I knew in association with the life I'm now familiar with. This place is closer to home than I've felt in weeks.

"We better go sign up for a tour. The next one starts at four." Mikaela insisted, nodding towards the building we were here for. She'd researched the tours on our way in, and we're already too late for the full one. Not that it matters, I just want to get as much around as possible. I only had thirty minutes on the tour, and the entire tourist business ends at five. I have until then to try and hope my message had reached someone and they're waiting for me.

We made it back with only a few minutes to spare. Mikaela took her ticket and stepped aside, waiting for me to pay for mine. As I handed over my card, I decided this is as good a place as any to start asking.

"Do you know anyone that works here who's name is Simmons?"

The woman looked up at me curiously, then back to the ticket she was printing off. Handing me back the card, she shook her head. "No, sorry. But I don't know a lot of people's names here. You know which department he works?"

I shook my head and let it drop.

She handed over the ticket and smiled politely. "Good luck."

I nodded. "Thanks."

We were the last of the group to join up, and as soon as we flashed the tickets, the tour guide began our journey to the start of the tour. It didn't officially start until we were outside the gift shop anyways, so I didn't have any difficulty worming my way to the front and clearing my throat to get his attention.

"Excuse me, do you know anyone by the name Simmons here?" I asked him.

He thought a moment, before shaking his head. "I know a Samantha?"

I fell to the back of the group, taking my place beside Mikaela once more.

"Are you going to be asking everyone that?" She hissed.

"Yeah, that's why I'm here." I whispered back. The tour guide- his name tag said Anthony -had started to talk. I didn't really care to pay much attention, though. Instead, I was looking around and trying to fit this place into my memory. I never came back here often because it reminded me of Sector Seven, but after a while, I didn't so much mind. In any case, I didn't spend an excessive amount of time on this side of the public line, so I'm more unfamiliar with these particular path ways.

Every once in a while, one of the workers would walk past our group and I'd stop them to ask about Simmons and no one seemed to show any recognition. Most of them shook their head and kept walking, trying to ignore me. I'm just an annoying tourist, after all. Eventually, other tourists started giving me annoyed looks.

It wasn't until the tour was concluding and we were let into the visitor center that I found one of the Hoover Dam Policemen, someone who I was hoping would at least be aware of my coming.

"Excuse me, sir." I walked up to him. He looked over curiously.

"How can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm looking for someone by the name of Simmons. Do you recognize the name?" I asked, searching his face for any reaction.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, young man. I don't know anyone by that name that works here. Or is it someone you came with that's gotten lost?"

I was about to deny this, before changing my mind. No, this is a good way to possibly spread the word farther, so that someone that knows my message is more likely to hear.

"Sort of. I was supposed to meet him here, but I haven't seen him all day and I'm concerned he's gotten lost. But I know he's here somewhere."

"I'll put word around for him." The policeman assured me. "Now who should I say is looking for this Simmons?"

"Sam."

He nodded and picked up his walkie-talkie, repeating my inquiry over their frequency. "You keep looking, son. I'm sure you'll find him."

"Thank you." I smiled politely, walking back towards the windows with Mikaela.

"That's gotten real old, real fast." She gave me an unimpressed look. "I could almost say you're embarrassing me."

"That's great, because I don't actually care." I looked down at the water and power buildings below us. Sector Seven is right here, hopefully the Allspark too, but I'm stuck being a tourist. I have half an hour before we're stuck coming back tomorrow, and I just can't help but feel like I haven't asked the right people. I don't know who the right people are, though. So what am I supposed to do?

"Who is this Simmons, anyway?" She asked. "Or is it just some secret code word you and your alien family use?"

I rolled my eyes at her sarcastic tone. "It's the name of a man I know to work in Sector Seven. Not my favorite person, but..."

"But what?" She prompted when I didn't speak for a moment.

I completely dropped that train of thought and looked around us for a pair of binoculars. There was a couple nearby that had some they weren't using, and I quickly went up to them. They were from our tour, and thus recognized me as the annoying kid that kept talking during the tour.

"May I borrow those a moment?" I asked. "I'm just using them right here." I pointed to the window behind them.

"Sure." The man gave me a weird look, holding them out. The woman shook her head and turned away. I grabbed them quickly an crouched down as if it would give me a better vantage point to look down at the pavement at the base of the Dam.

"Sam, what are you doing?" Mikaela caught back up to me. "Give them the binoculars back."

"That's him." I insisted, staring at a head full of curly grey hair. From this angle that's all I can see, but it's enough. That's probably a black suit, and... and now he's disappeared from view again. I put the binoculars on the bench beside the couple. "Thanks." I tossed over my shoulder as I ran toward the door.

"Sam!" Mikaela objected in exasperation. "Who? You're starting to let this whole thing go to your head. Where are you going now? We just got here!"

I didn't say anything, leaving the visiting center and making a bee-line back to the gift shop. I'm not done here, and I need to find a whole lot more people, because I'm rather certain Sector Seven is still here.

"Wait up-" Mikaela started to object again, but we were in an empty hall. We were the only ones going this way, back to the ground level right now, and we were just in between security cameras. Which was a perfect time to have your arm grasped and yanked sideways into a side hall that's marked 'personel only'.

Two taller men wearing the same uniforms as the Dam policeman I'd spoken to earlier were esquarting the both of us down the hall and around to some stairs. Mikaela had gone quiet and was watching me for my next move. She was rolling with it, and until I stated my position on what's happening, she was bidding her time.

At the bottom of the stairs, we were cornered into a smaller room with the light flicking on like a cliche interrogation room. Which only really meant one thing, of course.

"Who are you looking for?" The man that had grabbed me demanded, looking between the both of us.

"Seymour Simmons." I answered calmly.

"Who's looking?" The other man demanded.

"Sam." Came my answer.

"What do you know?" The first one spoke again.

"About this whole operation."

Their expressions changed and the room relaxed only slightly. Now, however, they seemed free to say what was on their minds.

"You're just a kid! What do you think you're pulling here? How do you know about all of that?" The first one seemed to be in charge. "And who are you?"

"Mikaela." She answered stiffly, shooting me a glance.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that right now. But I need to see your operations. Alright, this is really important." I insisted, letting my calm facade drop a bit. "You need to take me down to see Simmons, or whoever else might be in charge."

"You think just because you throw around a few fancy words and cloak and dagger, we're going to let you in like that?" He scoffed. "More like you've now been incarcerated for threat to national security."

"NBE, non-biological extraterrestrial. Aliens. Giant robots. The Cube. I know this stuff, and I probably know it for a reason. Take me to Simmons. I need to talk with him." I insisted, no about to play around.

They laughed. "You're not calling the shots here. You can't be serious."

"I am." I scoffed.

"He is." Mikaela backed me up. "He's got information on these aliens like you wouldn't believe. Now if you want any of it, you're going to want to do as he says."

I shot her a glance, but nodded.

"What do you know?" They rounded on me.

"I know a whole lot." I crossed my legs. "It's my job to know. I've been training for years to know, and I'd be happy to share it all. But not until after I get what I want."

"And what is it you want?" The second man sighed, getting tired of this already.

"I want to see your facilities. If I'm not mistaken, you have a giant alien robot popsicle, right?" They said neither yay nor nay, but I know enough to tell that they had both just confirmed. "And you've got a big Cube thing that puts off a lot of weird energy." This was more of a willful hope that was thankfully also unintentionally confirmed. Out of everything that's happened and gone wrong, there might yet be one good thing from it all; the Allspark remains intact. "I want to see them both."

"And what gives you the right?"

"I have more of a right to either of them than you do. You have no idea what I've gone through to get here. I'll talk. I'll tell you all kinds of things about the aliens, because I've lived with them for years. They trust me."

"Oh? Then where are they now?" They were skeptic.

I pursed my lips. I don't know.

"Come on. We don't have all day anyways." The first man decided, pointing us towards a door in the corner of the interrogation room. It wasn't the one we came in from, and judging from the key-card lock on it, we were about to pass to the other side of the public line. "It doesn't matter to me whether you're calling the shots or the boss is. Either way, you're coming with us."

"Fine by me." I sighed, allowing the slightest moments of relief as I returned to the political minefield and official's playground. Agents, soldiers, and cranky politicians is where I belong, and as that door behind us shut, I felt that much closer to home.

With every step we took, the facilities became more familiar. Being escorted by two men that clearly didn't want me to be here was nothing new to me. Actually, their discomfort almost put me at ease. How often is it that I am in the company of uncomfortable official people? If one of the Autobots are also present, it's a guarantee.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we made an unexpected turn. "The popsickle's that way."

"How do you know that?" One of the men demanded, clearly no more willing to take me that way the more I say things I shouldn't know.

"Again, I'm not at liberty to discuss that." I denied. "Are you taking me to the guy in charge?"

"No, we're taking you to see Simmons." Just like I'd asked for, I guess.

Only when we were going through the last door did I finally catch the look Mikaela was giving me. Once again, she's been dragged in for association. And now she's heard too much. But it's not like she'll get stuck here or anything.

There were a couple people with guns to intimidate us, but more interestingly, there was Simmons standing on the other side of the table we were expected to sit at. He had his arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and just a whole demeanor I really can't take seriously anymore. It's like he's playing dress up, because he's not a Sector Seven agent. He doesn't care who he works for, he just wants to be involved with aliens, and currently, S-7 is the only job opening.

"Who do you think you are, throwing my name around like we're buddies?" He demanded, pointing to the chairs. We both sat down, and I gave a grin. "Because we're not. I'm about to lose my badge for breaching national security, for something I ain't ever done! Explain yourself. Now." He jabbed an angry fist on the table, glaring at both of us.

"No, no. We've never met before." I insisted. "You couldn't have broken national security, because this is the first time we've met in any way, shape, or form."

He hesitated, backing up and nodding. "That's right. How do you know my name? And all this?" He dropped a print-out of my email."

"I can explain that." I clapped my hands together. "Once you take me to the popsicle and the Cube." Megatron's frozen carcass is my best chance on getting ahold of the Autobots right now. Well, I suppose that's not entirely true. If they let me leave the Dam with the Allspark, I can guarantee I'm going to encounter Cybertronian life within the day.

"No, and no." He denied immediately. "I want answers. How do you know about the aliens?"

"No." I mimicked him. "This is on my terms. Because I can't prove anything until I have one of the above listed."

He gave me a silent glare, before turning on Mikaela. "You. What is it again..." He reached over to the folder and opened it up, which unsurprisingly held two profiles, one on me and one on her. "Mikaela. Right. Are you going to talk?" He pinned his best glare on here.

She glanced to me and I shrugged. "You can go ahead and tell him the truth. He's no threat, he's pretty harmless."

"Excuse me? No. I've got a bite much worse than my bark, son. Don't make me use it." I clearly upset him, He rounded back on Mikaela, who was far more nervous than I was. "What do you know?"

"I don't know anything." She admitted. "I just went on a road trip with Sam, and I just came for the road trip part. I was kind of hoping I could start driving home before he started doing whatever crazy thing to get himself arrested."

"No you weren't, you wanted to know what was happening." I scoffed.

"I don't know, Sam. This seems pretty serious. You look like you're enjoying yourself, and I don't know if that means everything is going to be fine, or you've lost it." She shook her head.

"No, the kid's definitely lost it." Simmons cut back in. "Smart, not telling your little criminal girlfriend anything. Now we've got to wean it out of you personally."

"You don't seem to understand where I stand on this." I leaned forward, propping my elbows onto the table. "I'm willing to talk. I'll tell you everything you want to know. I'll tell you where the aliens come from, why they came to Earth, I'll even tell you what kind of technologies they have, but don't tell me how any of it works. I'm no engineer. I'm actually what you might call an expert on their culture, and talking about them is what I do best. But I'm not saying anything on the subject until you take me to NBE-01 and the Cube."

"I take you into that room, you aren't leaving. You are officially apprehended and contained. You aren't leaving this facility so long as Sector Seven stands." He smirked, deciding this was enough to stop me. "By all means, if you want to live here the rest of your natural born life, never seeing the light of the sun again, I'll take you to see both of them."

"Just to be clear, is that offer individual between us?" I asked, pointing between Mikaela and I.

"Yes." He deadpanned, rather unimpressed.

"Then I agree." I held out a hand to make that deal. As long as Sector Seven stands.

Simmons hadn't expected this, but he raised his eyebrows and shook my hand. Then he turned to Mikaela. "What about you? You can either spend your whole life here, or we're moving you somewhere else to discuss your situation. Think hard." He narrowed his eyes.

"Am I really never leaving this place?" She asked, keeping her eyes on him but turning towards me, asking us both.

"Yes." Simmons answered promptly.

"No." Was my reply. "We might be here a little while, but not even all summer."

"You're a little overconfident, young man." Simmons scoffed.

"You sounded crazy when you were talking about aliens, I think I'm going to trust you." Mikaela decided. "I accept this deal too."

"Right. Tom is not going to be happy about this." Simmons moaned, turning away from us. "I might yet still lose my badge."

"Stay on my nice side, and you'll get a position in NEST." I encouraged.

"What now? No, this kid's lost it." He scoffed. "Stand down, I'm giving him what he wants. Just make sure everyone knows these kids aren't allowed to leave. And please, will one of you find Tom before he finds out about this mess on his own?" He pulled the door back open and turned towards us. "Alright. Let's go." He motioned for us to walk out.

"What's NEST?" Mikaela asked me as the atmosphere started to relax and we went back down the way I thought we'd been going to begin with.

"Non-biological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty. It's a human-Autobot alliance that replaces this abomination." I sneered at our surroundings. S-7 crests on the walls, I really don't like them.

Simmons didn't grace us with any comments as we went. We weren't much farther from the hanger they kept Megatron in, and my nervousness was starting to build again. The Allspark is deeper underground, so it figures we'd be going there last. But I'm about to come face to face with the first actual Cybertronian in so long. I'm both worried I'm going to feel different about them after so long, and overdue for this. It feels like everything I've been working to do is about to pay off, and the moment is rather anticlimactic. Which is completely ridiculous, because I still have to find the Autobots. This here is just the first step.

I let Mikaela and Simmons through the door that lead into the hanger first, fearing beyond belief that something had gone wrong and maybe... what if... what if after all this work, it's somehow an entirely different alien species they've got in here? Maybe that's the thing? Maybe what's different here is it's a different alien species that was thrown into war and crashed into Earth, and that's why things went down differently?

Just inside the door, with Simmons and Mikaela still walking ahead, I found my feet glued to the floor the moment I found the massive, frozen being they were keeping. A familiar, comforting sight that repulsed me at the same time. Because it's too familiar a sight. Too familiar a height, too familiar a paint job, too familiar features... The entire contraption they'd built up around the Cybertronian stuck in stasis was smaller than it had been in my continuity, but it was a familiar height. Because the bot in it was the most familiar of them all.

"Bumblebee?"

* * *

I would like to wrap this chapter up by establishing the fact I don't like most of the human characters from Michael Bay's movies. Mikaela is a sex symbol with no other purpose, easily replaced after two movies and people barely notice. Sam is an annoying incarnation of most teenager stereotypes and has a terrible sense of loyalty. Simmons is crude and annoying, and his character is clearly just a comic relief that had more potential. I have my own 'cannon' set for each of their personalities that make them much more appealing, and I use it in most all my stories now. Sam is politically adept and loyal to the Autobots, Mikaela is a tough girl that's major thing going for her is her ability to work on cars that she adapts to being Ratchet's star pupil- when I'm feeling generous towards her -and Simmons is still an annoying jerk... but he's a lovable annoying jerk. He's incredibly dramatic, doesn't trust easy, likes banter, and his loyalty lies with whoever can get him closest to the aliens.

On a completely unrelated topic, the only human character that my love has only strengthened for is Lennox. Despite all others of his species in the movie, William Lennox is still funny, loyal, stubborn, and I like him. In fact, while he isn't my favorite character in the Bay-verse, he is definitely my favorite human character in the movies. His character remains modeled after the personality shown in the movies.

Who is your favorite human in the movies, going only off from the movie's personifications of each character?


	6. Unhinged on Ice

Great! Still loving the reviews. We've got some more great theories, and I think congratulations are in order for Hocapontas. But outside of this correct guess that has now been confirmed, I can't really say anyone else has quite gotten it. Though, I think we're in the right ballpark right now... just the wrong sport, if you know what I mean.

I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

If my goal were to remain as quiet and discrete as possible, I would have been failing miserably. All pretenses of acting mature and grown up as only a twenty eight year old in a seventeen year old's body could were gone. There were people running around, trying to stop me while under specific orders not to hurt me. They wanted the information I had, and I suddenly felt reluctant to help them. Blocking the stairs and ladders up to the platform they had built around my guardian really did nothing close to what they had hoped. I've spent enough time around Autobots in ways no other human has, and I threw them all into shock and flurries when I leapt at the cold metal of Bumblebee's armor.

Climbing the chilled metal was more difficult than the living protoform of one of my family. It's rigid and unmoving, and my fingers were quickly getting frozen. But the temperature only drove me higher and higher until I reached the first of the hoses they were using to keep him unconscious. I twisted my arms to secure myself to my guardian's armor and threw my legs out to kick at the hoses, tossing them away. People were shouting, everyone was running, and I heard someone stop someone else from using weaponry to take me down.

I didn't even have the first hose shut down and pushed away before rope came flying at me. With my legs thrown out like they were, I was an easy target. My arms were twisted as my weight fell fully onto them, and I had to release my hold on the cold armor before I fell, lest I break one of them. Nevertheless, I came crashing to the ground and hit with an impact hard enough to knock the wind out of me. My vision was swimming- whether from the fall or from fury I couldn't tell -and I was thrashing to get free.

They can't do this! Not to Bumblebee! They've had Bumblebee frozen here for decades instead of Megatron? I can't believe this! NO!

"Sam. Sam. Sam!" A voice broke through as I finally started to calm down. "Sam! Come on, snap out of it." That's Mikaela, trying to grab at my arms still tangled in the ropes. A crowd had gathered around us, at the base of my frozen guardian's feet. She had made sure no one else came closer, but she didn't seem pleased with my actions. "What were you thinking? Look, every doubt I ever had about anything you said, I take it back. But do you realize that these people mean business? They have guns, and they have a giant frozen alien. You can't just go on blind fury-attacks!"

I huffed, not in the mood to humor her. "I take it back too. I'm not cooperating."

"Sam, what did you expect to see? A giant alien robot. You knew what we were walking into, at least, you seemed like you did."

"I was expecting a bigger one. More grey, uglier." I growled, standing up and more calmly throwing the ropes away. "Not him! You've got to release him now!" I glared at all the faceless suits around us. "Let. Him. Go!"

"I'm sorry, we can't do that, son." It's Simmons, stepping closer than the others now. "That wasn't part of the deal, and we aren't about to set loose a fifteen foot tall alien robot."

"Why not? I'll tell you all about him, if that makes you feel better." I took a step closer to the freezing metal behind me, which was incidentally farther from everyone that had gathered. "His name is Bumblebee, and he's just a scout. He's probably the nicest one you'll meet, he loves to play video games, has a terrible sense of humor, and he likes to listen to weird music. He'd never hurt a human- he'd go out of his way to fall on his own face before accidentally hitting the ground close enough to a human to even make them uncomfortable. You let him go, and I swear, the idiot would probably be apologizing himself!"

"How do you know so much, son?" Simmons didn't believe me for a second. "We've had this thing locked up here for about a century, and you don't look that old."

I narrowed my eyes and bit my lip. "He isn't supposed to be here. Megatron is. Megatron was in the Arctic Circle when my great grandfather found him and went crazy. Then you idiots showed up and took him down here. Megatron is supposed to be the one frozen in ice, and _he_ ," I put a hand on the yellow armor, "is supposed to be my car! This is all wrong."

"He claims he's from the future." Mikaela sighed.

"Aliens is one thing, but we've found no indication that this thing has time-traveling capabilities. That's still the stuff of science fiction novels." Simmons scoffed.

"I don't know. He sure knew a lot about me. How else do you explain how he knows all this stuff?" She crossed her arms and sided with me, but didn't come any closer.

"Time travel is impossible, son. You better rethink your story." Simmons sighed. "Now step away from the alien, and come with me."

"No. Alright, it's not... it's not... we don't..." I shook my head, not sure how exactly to say this without making them even more skeptical of me. If they'd just release Bumblebee, I'm sure he could back me up. Even though no one else seems to be even slightly aware of the events that have already taken place, I just know Bumblebee will remember.

"You don't what?"

"We don't usually have time travel. It isn't exactly something a technology we have developed or anything. It's more like a side effect." I hedged.

"A side effect? Like, 'may cause coughing, rash, swollen throat, or time travel'? You're kidding me, right?" Simmons was losing more and more of his patience. He was advancing now.

"No. Their ancestors had this technology called a 'space bridge', but they kind of lost it a long time ago. Before the war. But now they started to dig up more of it, trying to put it back together and get it to work again, but we didn't know how it worked. It sort of bridges two physical locations through something we call 'sub space', but it's real complicated. I don't know much about it, but I do know that time and space are more connected than the extent of human sciences imply. I'm not exactly sure how it all works, but I know that what we had didn't work right, and it sent me here." I shook my head. "I'm not a scientist, but I know that if you find yourself crashing into a bunch of volatile space bridge pieces, some weird time-space stuff is going to happen."

"It sounds like you were sent through time and space, then." Mikaela mused. "I thought it was just time."

"It's hard to separate the two." I allowed. "But I definitely was sent to the same place I was at the time I arrived in this continuum. My point is, I know these guys better than you can even imagine, and you don't have any idea, but you can't keep Bee like this. I swear, if you let him defrost, he'll be well behaved. Sure, he's going to dislike you a bit, but that's because you're all jerks. Let him go." I looked up at my best friend, completely offline. "Let him go."

"And what reason do we have for letting this thing defrost? Why would we do that? What even assures me that you're telling the truth, or that you even know what you're talking about?" Simmons challenged.

"You're going to have to trust me, I guess." Because all of my evidence, all of my proof is frozen in ice.

He scoffed. "Fat chance. You know what? Take these two and lock them up somewhere. I have to fix this mess before Tom gets back."

Two men grabbed our arms again- maybe the same men that had drafted us down into the interrogation room -and we were dragged out of the hanger. I didn't have any energy to fight it, I could only watch Bumblebee disappear from view as I furiously thought up ways to defrost him. What should I do? How did the Decepticons defrost Megatron? I remember the sirens going off, but why? What did they do? I just can't remember.

"I thought I was going to see the Allspark too?" I spoke up as we were pushed into another room.

"You just deprived yourself of that now, didn't you?" One of the nameless men sneered at me.

The other one made a show to lock the door while it was still open. "Hope you're comfortable, you just signed up for an all-expenses paid vacation for life."

They slammed the door and I laid down on the ground. Forget the chairs, forget the table. I chose the ground.

"I really hope you know what you're doing, because I didn't sign up for actually getting trapped here forever." Mikaela was getting increasingly skeptical of me and worried we actually were trapped. She pulled out one of the chairs and sat down, glaring down at me. "That show back there wasn't very comforting. Are you sure you have a handle on the situation?"

"Yes." I sighed, closing my eyes. I just didn't expect to see Bumblebee there. But... it makes sense. It makes sense in that something must have changed prior to my own arrival, but I just can't believe that it lead to Bumblebee getting frozen in there instead of Megatron. Unless this is somehow an alternate continuum from the beginning of its timeline, it doesn't make sense that things have changed that I couldn't possibly have affected.

But if Bumblebee were sent back too, to an earlier time, it's possible.

"Alright. So that thing back there was supposed to be your first car, not Doc?" She sounded calmer when she spoke again, several minutes later. I nodded. "Alright. Okay, then what is this Cube thing? What's your plan now? I don't really like sitting here, not sure if I'm ever going to get to go home again."

"I know exactly how you feel." I sighed, not bothering to answer her other questions.

What is my plan now? Same as before. Only instead of hacking Megatron's communications, I'm going to defrost Bumblebee. I freaked out back there, and I acted without thinking. If I could have just waited a moment to think it through, I would have realized that running over there to kick at their equipment would be the most unproductive method I could have chosen. I need to wait and gain their trust. Make them actually think I'm on their side, all the while sabotaging... what? How to get Bee to defrost? I don't know technology very well, but I suppose one way is to cut the power? How do you cut the power to a building that literally generates massive amounts of power itself? Turn off the entire Dam?

"Sam. I can't believe this. Will you just come clean already? I believe, you, alright? Anything you tell me, I will believe you. No doubts, no questions, I'm just going to take your word for it. Now please, tell me what you're going to do now." Mikaela spoke up again after an even longer bout of silence.

"I don't know." I answered honestly, but decided to humor her and not make her even more upset. So I started to think out loud. "I need to defrost Bumblebee. I'm not getting anywhere until then. He doesn't deserve to be frozen like that. And I have to get ahold of the Allspark. It was destroyed in my continuity, and maybe it doesn't have to be this time. In my continuity, it was the Decepticons that crashed here and had the coordinates to it, and the Autobots that could only follow them here. I think they've switched now, and I'm not sure why, but I think that's what this is all about. That means the Autobots have been on Earth for a while now, and they would have attacked the soldiers in Qatar."

I laughed a bit. "Right. Attacking human soldiers is the last thing they'd ever do. So that didn't happen, and they never even showed up there I bet. But on the flip side, that would have put the Decepticons in position to track down Archibald's glasses and find me, posing as my first car."

"Doc is an alien?" Mikaela's eyebrows shot up, but I snorted and shook my head.

"No. Doc is an old piece of shit car." She gave me an irritated look. "Sorry. An old fixed up car. It's actually pretty alright now, of course. But the fact it's a normal car means the Decepticons either never found out about the glasses and tracked them to me, or they've been taking a different route in taking them. I would bet anything that Barricade has been posing as a normal patrolling cop, keeping an eye on me until they knew where the glasses were, and then sending in Frenzy to take them." I stopped, hoping my Decepticon analysis skills are still lacking.

"What?" She prompted, satisfied by my line of thought.

"And the most opportune time to take them would be after I'd gone for an indefinite period of time on a road trip, when there's little chance he'd be caught. I'd bet you anything that they've already got the glasses."

"And what's so important about these glasses?" She distracted me momentarily.

"They're my great grandfather's glasses. Apparently in this timeline, he stumbled upon Bumblebee and got the coordinates to the Allspark imprinted into his glasses and his brain. In my continuity, he found Megatron there. That's how Sector Seven found out about him, from Archibald's crazy ramblings. His glasses were passed down, and I did my genealogy report on him."

"I remember that." She mused. "You brought in a bunch of old sailing tools."

I nodded, trying to get back onto the subject at hand. "So if the Decepticons have the glasses, I'd bet they're on their way here for the Allspark now. They could be here any minute, or they might not be here for a few days. I have no idea." I shook my head. "But the Autobots? If they're in the 'con's place here, they've been searching the globe trying to find out what happened with Bumblebee and the Allspark. My bet is that only Bee has the coordinates, just like how only Megatron had them."

"So where are they now?" She prompted me once more.

I thought a moment, squeezing my eyes shut. This is all theoretical, and it's entirely based off how well I know them. Honestly, I could be completely off. But... if I were them this is what I would do. And being as I am an Autobot and I think very similarly to their general thoughts, I think I'm pretty close.

"For whatever lead the Decepicons had found, they attempted to hack top-secret government files. Probably for information on this place. Assuming the Autobots found the same leads, they would have attempted to find the same information out. I was never a part of that end of things, but I do know that Will got involved because the Decepticons attacked their base in Qatar for this information. I think there were other strikes, and I don't know for sure what the Autobots would do in that situation, but I'm sure they would have gotten the info they needed by now. So whatever means they did it through- certainly more peaceful than the Decepticons' had been -they're more than likely headed this way too."

"So without doing anything, everyone's coming here." She mused. I nodded.

"That's how it happened. Everyone just collided here, and Sector Seven realized exactly what an 'alien war' meant. We were both there, but that's because Sector Seven found me. You were caught in the crossfire because you're nosy, and Bumblebee had been fighting the Decepticon that he'd unintentionally lead to me. Their presence lead Sector Seven to me, and we were all three brought in."

"When was that? Maybe if it's all to happen on the same day, we can be prepared for these 'Decepticons' and 'Autobots'." She sat up right, still in this with me.

I shook my head and didn't move to get up. "A month ago. Since the Decepticons didn't insert themselves directly into my life, they didn't draw Sector Seven's attention or the Autobots' attention. The 'bots are still on their own leads, and S-7's situation hasn't changed at all. I have no idea when anyone will get here. Pit, they still might not."

"So what are you going to do?" She asked the million dollar question. Now that we've established all this, what everyone else is probably doing, it's time to strike a little closer to home.

"I'm going to get the Allspark."

* * *

So... that could have been handled a bit better.

Now if we can take Sam's speculation at face value, we know a bit more about what's happening. But surely even Sam's bound to be wrong about some things, right? Or is he? Hmmmmm...

Now I don't write for reviews, and I would never withhold a chapter until I got a certain amount. However, if I keep getting reviews like this, I wouldn't be surprised if you got the entire story this week. I try to stretch it out to last, but you people are spoiling me. And I love it. But reviews or not, I'm updating another chapter today because I'm stuck on a detail or two in the 9th chapter, and I don't want to force it. Reviews always help me through writer's block too.


	7. How Fickle my Agent

Not much to say now. Still stuck on chapter 9, and we're almost there. Hopefully I'll figure it out by then.

Hope you enjoy the chapter, I don't own Transformers.

* * *

It seemed like hours before anyone returned. During this time, Mikaela had even attempted to break the door down. I was sitting on the table, wondering if I could even take the Allspark if I tried. Sure, I know how Bee did it. They all thought I obsessed over details that no longer mattered- since the Allspark didn't even exist anymore -but I still wanted to learn the insignificant things. Like how exactly one coaxes such an ancient and powerful object into its more manageable and transportable form. And by all means, I'm going to try. But no matter how much I know about these sorts of things, it doesn't change the fact I'm organic and might not be able to coax it into anything at all.

It was Simmons. He closed the door behind him, walking over to take the empty chair as if we were old buddies. I didn't move from where I was in the middle of the table.

"What brings you back here?" Mikaela asked, sitting in the other chair with her legs propped up to my right. She had to lean around me to see Simmons, now sitting at the opposite corner from her.

"Not that either of you two care, but I just about lost my badge over this whole incident. Some civilian kid comes boasting about top secret information, asking to see me like I had anything to do with it, I almost didn't have a chance to convince them I don't even know you." He crossed his arms. "Now Tom's back-" I think this 'Tom' character is the director of Sector Seven. I can't say for sure, but it sounds vaguelly familiar. I probably knew him for a little bit. I want to say his last name is something weird. Starts with a 'K' or a 'B'. Maybe starts with something else and has a 'K' and a 'B' in it. I don't know. "-and he's about to give me one more shot before shipping me out. Now I realize that neither of you two want to cooperate, but I want to know what it will take for you to admit you have no idea who I am, and tell the truth on how you got ahold of all these words and names. Alright? What's it going to take?"

"What's it going to take for you to realize Sam's telling the truth?" Mikaela asked, tipping her chair back. "We both are."

"It's going to take some hard evidence. Undeniable proof." Simmons gave me an irritated look as he leaned around to speak to Mikaela. "Son, can you get down from there?"

"I like high places." I stated, not moving.

He gave an annoyed huff and dragged the chair behind me, to sit across from Mikaela. I turned where I was, not caring to otherwise move.

"Alright, here's the deal." Simmons got back down to business. "I don't know if you're still trying to pull one over on me, or you actually believe time travel is possible. Maybe you got hit on the head. Maybe not. Who am I to say, right? All I'm saying is, if you are pretending, you're pretty good at it. So why don't you change your story, and say you hacked some email some idiot in tech sent? Or maybe you know someone that used to work here, and got laid off. Maybe that person is a little upset with us for laying him off, and maybe he's more willing than he should have been to release this information to you. I don't know."

"You're asking us to lie?" Mikaela raised an eyebrow.

"For all I know, it's the truth as much as that bullshit about timetravel is." Simmons shrugged. "I'm just trying to strike a bargain."

I leaned forward, intrigued by this turn of events. This 'Tom' character that clearly has authority over Simmons has just returned, and now, all of the sudden, Simmons is fearful that he's going to lose his job. His future rests in my hands, and there are a couple things I want.

The situation is strangely familiar.

"First I'm going to want my car, my parents, and her juvie records." I stated with an entirely straight face, dead serious, and trying not to grin.

"What? We don't have your car. Or your parents." He gave me a weird look.

I laughed and smirked. "Nevermind that. But no, seriously. Her juvie record needs to be gone."

"Sam?" Mikaela stared at me in surprise.

Simmons nodded, agreeing instantly. "Done. Now do we have a deal?"

"You've got to be kidding me." I scoffed, swinging my legs around to sit differently, ready to stand up. "I've got a lot more terms than that. And you know exactly what they are."

He shook his head, leaning back. "I'm sorry, son. I'm not going to release the alien robot."

"Fine. I'll do that. Don't worry about Bumblebee, he's fine where he is for right now. Freezing like that can't be good for his systems, but I'll worry about that later. I still want to see the Cube, though."

He narrowed his eyes. "You aren't going to try something stupid like you did with the alien, are you?"

I smirked and tilted my head. "Depends on what you call 'stupid'. I want to touch it, if that's what you mean."

"I may care about my job, son, but I certainly care about this facility a whole lot more." He lied to himself. "I'm not going to do anything that jeopardizes the American people. What do you plan on doing with it?"

"How long would you say the Allspark's been where it is now, Simmons? A hundred years, two hundred?"

"Our estimates put it about a thousand years." He mused, as if I didn't already know. Of course I know. The Autobots put it about two thousand years, though it certainly isn't the same amount of time since they launched it. The Allspark traveling through space has been compared to a sort of 'natural spacebridge'. Given no one was watching it travel, Wheeljack has a theory that it treats space-time differently than a regular object floating around out there.

"Right. So it's been there over a thousand years, which means that if I were to be able to do anything with it, on purpose, while already knowing what the result would be, what would that mean? That somehow I've learned how to do that in the seventeen years I've been alive, while it's been so closely guarded by a bunch of idiots that don't even know what it is? Or that I'm over a thousand years old, and I've touched it before it became embedded into the Earth? Or maybe, I'm just proposing an idea here, maybe I'm from the future, where the aliens have taken it out of the rock and let me hold it?"

"What are you getting at? Are you still playing that future card?" He moaned.

"I am. And if I can prove it, that gets you off the hook." I stood up, towering over both of them from on the table. "That also gets me right where I want to be, and we're both happy. Right?"

He seemed to be thinking this over, making a face that told me he didn't like this.

"What are you doing to it?"

"Making it smaller." I shrugged.

"Right. You can control the size of it?" He scoffed, not believing me. "Does that affect its output?"

Output. As in, the life energy it radiates that they use to create and kill lifeforms at will. The reminder made me sick, and I tried my hardest not to express how much I hated what they were doing with it. "No."

"Are there any... side effects?" He asked, giving a nod to my whole time-travel speech earlier.

"No. It's sort of a 'transportation' form for it. You know how the aliens transform." I jumped down off the table. "I'll make it smaller, prove to you all I know what I'm talking about, and they'll realize that the only way you're involved with me is in an alternate reality in the future." I spread my arms. "Obviously, right?"

"I don't know about that, but if you can do anything with that Cube, it would help my case. Are you sure you can do it?"

"Yes." I lied.

He thought it over for another minute, and I stuck out my hand to finalize our agreement. Like when I first shook hands with Mikaela, negotiating the terms on which she would fix my- now her -car.

"Alright. If you fail me, I'm going to be out of the job and I'm going to kick your-"

"Hold on." I cut him off, retracting my hand before he could shake it. This time, it will be me adding on another term. "One more thing. I want to know where Tom went." Surely at a time like this, with aliens popping up everywhere, the director of Sector Seven was away doing something alien related. Right?

He laughed, taking a step away and letting it all out. "That? You call that a term? Who cares where he went? To go talk to some soldiers, that doesn't even qualify as top secret information! Out of all the last-minute ideas you could ask for, that's it?"

"Yeah. Now a deal's a deal. I want access to the Allspark." I shook his hand. He was grinning, still chuckling and shook vigorously.

"Son. You have no idea what you've just done. Once my job is secure again, I will end you." He took his hand back.

"I really wouldn't take that route. This was our agreement, but some friendly advice is to be nice to me. A lot of stuff is about to happen, and Sector Seven isn't going to last. If you want to stay in contact with the aliens, you better be ready to change." I started towards the door.

"You know, I'm getting awful tired of following you around." Mikaela mused, the last to exit the room.

"Don't tell me this isn't exciting?" I turned to her as we walked down another familiar route. "You'd rather be back at home right now?"

"I'd rather have my future secured, if that's what you mean." She mused. "But this is interesting. How many girls get to meet aliens?"

"You haven't met one yet." Simmons reminded. "I haven't, you haven't." He muttered afterwards.

"Actually, the aliens adopted Sam. He's practically alien himself." Mikaela laughed. "He's certainly weird enough."

"Somehow, I don't doubt it." He groaned.

"Don't worry. As long as you're still interested, you can work with the Autobots too. Ratchet, our medic, says you make a great apprentice." I shrugged.

"Of course. Why not?"

We entered the Allspark's room, and we were all stricken silent by it. I forget how large it is, and I live with massive beings! Even by their standards, it's an object of breathtaking proportion. The energy it gave off could even be sensed by organics; my skin was tingling and I felt as if I were in the best health of my life. However, these feelings are only temporary and conditioned upon proximity to the Allspark for us. But were we Cybertronian, it would literally be healing our worn systems and revitalizing us.

"Wow." Mikaela breathed. "Radiation on this thing isn't going to hurt us, is it?" She eyed a man in a hazmat suit working on equipment that was pushed up by the Cube.

"We haven't had any specific incidents that readily identify this thing as the cause of any radiation injuries that may or may not have occurred in this location." Simmons answered smoothly.

"No. It wouldn't hurt anyone." I completely ignored him and smiled, walking closer to it.

"Though, I wouldn't recommend getting too close." Simmons grabbed the back of my shirt.

I shrugged him off. "The Allspark isn't a weapon of any kind."

"I've seen its energy make people sick, and kill."

"Kill?" Mikaela squeaked.

"No. No, don't worry about that." I insisted. "They manipulate its energy into killing sparklings that they created with the very same energy. They misuse it and abuse it." I insisted. Turning back to the Allspark, I couldn't help the smile that crept back onto my face. "The Allspark is an ancient object of life. The opposite goes against its very nature."

They were quiet, letting me walk straight up to the lowest point I could touch on it. Even still, I had to reach over my head to get to it. But my fingers grazed over its surprisingly warm surface. I'm not sure it was even metal, but it might be some sort of other rock. And yet, I have no idea what material it might be made of.

"Can we move one of these lifts?" I asked, looking to the lifts built around the surface of the Cube.

"Excuse me?"

"I want to touch that corner." I pointed to the one sticking out, the very same one Bumblebee had reached up to touch oh-so long ago. It's got to be a corner. When it shrinks down, it recedes into a single corner, manipulating subspace, and I have to be there to catch it when it's done.

"Are you kidding me? You want to touch that corner?" He objected. "Choose somewhere else on the thing, we're not moving the lifts."

"Then I can't do it. All the other corners are either in the rock, or even higher." I pointed out. "I want that corner."

"Right. Alright. Fine. The kid wants that corner, he get's the freaking corner. Whatever. You!" Simmons pointed to the same man in the hazmat suit. "Take these kids to the observation deck while we move these things. Lock them inside, and get back out here to help."

The man mumbled something that none of us heard, and started back the way we came. I went willingly, leaving the Allspark only because I knew I'd return soon. Soon enough, I'll get to hold it in my arms, and when the Decepticons/Autobots come knocking, I'll already have the thing.

The lock clicked, and once again, we were confined to a single room, alone. This time, however, we got to watch what was happening. It took half an hour to push and pull the most ideal lift towards the corner, decide it wasn't going to work, and had a better shaped one- not made to be pressed up against a wall -to be brought in. I didn't take my eyes off their work, even as Mikaela went to investigate the other things in the room. Simmons was pulled to the side of the room at one point and was talking with someone else in a suit, probably Tom. Then, when they finally had it right, Simmons took the liberty of walking up the steps and making sure it was in the right position. He took his time coming back down, and I let my eyes wander back towards the group of men standing on the far edge of the room under us. I almost can't see them from here, for they were clustered around the door we had used to enter and leave. They had appeared there the same time Tom came in, and judging from their faded camouflage, they were the soldiers Simmons said Tom had gone to speak with. He didn't say they came back with him.

Not that I didn't already know they had. Now what are they doing here when their base in the Middle East was safe and sound?

Simmons, Tom, and the soldiers all disappeared from the Allspark's room, and I no longer had interest in looking through the window. Once again I can taste success. But it came with a bitter feeling in my stomach, being as the last time I had felt this anxious and ready for the next step, everything came crashing down with one frozen, stasis locked, Autobot.

It felt like years before the lock on the door clicked and the door handle started to turn.

* * *

Alright, I've got one for you. I've got a little oneshot I wrote a while back, and all it's missing is an ending. I'm getting back into the movie (and music) of this extremely underrated fandom, and I'm thinking about uploading it just for kicks. Has anyone seen the movie "Monster in Paris"? A EuropaCorp production of 2011, rather musical, and loosely based off from the Phantom of the Opera. You should watch it, I believe it's still on Netflix.

Or maybe giant fleas aren't your thing. Whatever. Just a bit of advertising for one of the greatest movies I know.


	8. Awakening the Guardian

It's been a bit longer, I guess. But that's sort of because I'm prolonging the time before I have to find a solution to my struggle at the end of the next chapter. I've just about got it figured out, though. So I suppose that's why I'm updating now. I'm sure a lot have you have been looking forward to these events, so here you are.

I hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

"Sam, Mikaela, this is Director Tom Banachek. Director, these are the two kids that have caused so much trouble." Simmons held introductions.

"It's a pleasure." I greeted with an exaggeratedly unimpressed expression.

"From what I understand, you managed to single handedly compromise an entire hanger. I'm impressed, I don't know what we're going to do with you, but I'm impressed." The older man nodded to us both. "So let me get this straight. You hope to prove you're from the future by assuming full access to a very powerful object?"

"I want to touch it, sir." I stated curtly. "Have you had any experience of anyone doing anything just by touching it?"

"No, but I don't trust your kind." He scratched his chin. "A teenager that knows too much. I don't know how you heard of those things, but I have my sneaking suspicions. Now you better prove to me something else is going on, otherwise you three are headed straight for the Pentagon. We've got protocols set into motion there, and they're already prepared to have you."

"With all due respect, sir, this is all on Sam." Mikaela stepped up. "I believe everything he says, but Simmons and I are both as new to this as you are."

"Mh-hm. Likely story. I'm going to give you ten minutes on that lift, so you better climb quickly." He turned his attention back to me.

"Don't worry, sir. I can climb pretty well."

"You don't say?" Simmons scoffed sarcastically. Tom gave him an irritated look and he shut up quickly.

"And once we're done here, I have some real business to attend to. Sam, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine. And I'm going to be taking their word over yours, understand?" He turned to walk out the door again.

Mikaela, Simmons and I followed out, coming face to face with the soldiers I'd seen in the Allspark's room. They were an even more welcome, familiar sight. I unintentionally let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Will, standing front and center at the lead of the group.

"Hey, Will." I greeted him. This thoroughly creeped him out and he jerked his chin over to Tom.

"You already tell the kid our names?"

"No. Apparently he knows a lot more than he's supposed to." The Director eyed me cautiously.

"This time, we are already acquainted." I insisted. "Though, somewhat indirectly. I've been emailing his wife for a few weeks, and she's passed on a few messages."

"Witwicky?" Realization dawned on Lennox's face. "What are the odds? Wait, what do you know? Those emails started right around the time-" He cut himself off, when Epps jabbed him in the ribs.

"It's not a coincident. I'm sure you've heard I'm from the future already. Well I am." I gave a grin and spread my arms. "And in my version of these events, your base was attacked by aliens and we met here after you all escaped and was drafted to the Dam."

"This kid has sources on the inside and don't trust a single thing he says. He's got a sharp tongue too." Simmons insisted. "I think he's been talking to Maria. That secretary we fired a week ago."

The entire group gave a collective eye roll and we ignored him.

"What happened around the time I started emailing Sarah? You were going to say." I brought the conversation back around.

"We don't know who you are, but you clearly don't have clearance for us to answer that question." Epps jabbed a finger at me.

"I don't have clearance to even be here." I laughed. "Yet here I am. So what happened?"

"I think we should take this into the other room." Tom interveined. "This conversation is getting a bit too cozy for my liking. They're certainly not going to talk to you."

"Wait a moment." Our group started moving back down to the stairs, and back to the Allspark's room. "They haven't told you yet either, have they? Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you guys were the ones that requested to come here. They didn't bring you in." I addressed the soldiers again.

"Whatever you think you know, kid, you're wrong." Will stated. "And I'm not about to discuss it with you. We're under strict orders, and I don't go back on my word."

Strict orders from who? Hmm. Very interesting.

"So what is it you hope to accomplish here?" Tom asked as the Allspark came back into our view.

"He's going to shrink it, whatever that means." Simmons explained.

"You got that timer ready?" I asked, walking to the base of the lift. "Ten minutes."

Tom gave me an unimpressed look, and Simmons motioned for me to get up there before he beats me. The tingling feeling on my skin was mingling with the excitement of actually trying something only a few people ever have done. Not many people even get to touch the Allspark in their lifetimes, let alone hold it. But I get to twice, defying the fact that it had been destroyed the last time I held it.

At the top of the stairs, far enough above them all that no one could hear me, I let out a terrified breath. This is it. I don't even know if I can do it, even though I made it seem like there wasn't a doubt in my mind. This is happening, and there's really no going back.

I reached out to touch the corner, remembering how Bumblebee had described it. There isn't any definite pattern to this, and it isn't even like manipulating it to do something. It's more like... more like when he prods me in the side, hoping I'll wake up in the morning. Hoping I won't roll over and give him the death glare. Hoping I'll willingly accept the morning greeting and rise from my slumber.

"Come on, there." I enticed the subconscious entity. It's by all means alive, but it is never conscious. It can't be, for that isn't in its nature. It exists to be used, by those who are worthy to use it. "I don't want to walk down these stairs empty handed. The next person to try this probably isn't going to have your best intentions in mind. So please, just work." I tried to do as Bumblebee had described. It's more of an instinct than intentional actions.

"Shrink. I won't let you out of my arms, you won't be destroyed this time. I swear." I whispered. "I need you to save Bee. So please just cooperate. I know I'm human, but that's just because you were too wrapped up here to make me Cybertronian." I talked continuously, hoping this wasn't all for nothing. Sure, it could be the Autobots that arrive here next, to shrink this thing and get it to safety, but I really don't like the odds to the contrary. I'm here now, and if there's even the smallest sliver of a chance that I can take it, I will.

They were talking down below, and it sounded like my time was almost up. I closed my eyes and sighed. "Come on, I want to take you home." I gripped it, practically hugging the corner in front of me.

All of the sudden, there was a sort of burst of energy, in a single pulse that lit the entire Cube up outward from this corner. Then, as my fingers tightened over whatever small grip I'd found, it began to retract into itself. It shrank, easily manipulating space to accommodate for a smaller, more transportable size. I didn't even have to look down to see their expressions of awe and amazement. I felt it myself, and even as its receding edges came closer to my finger tips, I couldn't move. I should move, because where I'm gripping probably isn't even going to exist pretty soon.

It came to a stop, just inside the boundaries of my now white knuckles. I held it upwards, hugging it to my chest as if hugging Bee.

I did it.

I took the Allspark.

At the bottom of the stairs, I was met with new respect that no one seemed to have been ready to give me.

"You, you just..." Simmons was gaping. Mikaela actually looked pretty smug, being the only one that believed me.

"That was mighty impressive, son." Tom shook his head. "Now hand it over." But he seemed more concerned with keeping the artefact than wondering how I did it.

I clutched it tighter, shaking my head. I promised it I wouldn't let go. "If I'm giving this Allspark to someone, it certainly isn't going to be you."

The soldiers shared a look I didn't miss.

"What did you call that thing?" Will took a step closer, suddenly interested in me now.

"The Allspark." I answered confidently.

He looked behind him to Epps, who shrugged and nodded. When he turned back to me, he had a more familiar face on. One that told me he was on my side, and he was ready to defend this fact.

"Then I think our allegiances have shifted." One of the other soldiers spoke up. I didn't recognize him at all. He wore circular wire glasses and was shorter than Will. I thought all the soldiers stayed in NEST? Oh well.

"Just like that? He does a magic trick and suddenly you're ready to start talking to a random kid?" Tom was suddenly very upset. "Whatever you've got to say, I'm all ears."

"See, we were told to find someone we could trust. Someone who can help us, and then we talk. The only other time I've heard someone call that thing an Allspark is when our informants told us what was going on." Will explained. "And we came here for it, so suddenly, we don't have any reason to be here."

I looked over at Mikaela, even though she had no idea what I was thinking. I've come to think of her as the only other person that knows what's going on, but actually, she's still a native to this continuity. So when she met my eyes, all she had was a blank stare that said she wasn't following at all, and still wide-eyes directed to the object in my arms.

I turned back to Will and took a step closer. "Does the name Optimus Prime sound familiar?" I asked.

He looked as if all his suspicions had just been confirmed, and he nodded.

"Wow. Um, I honestly hadn't expected this to be so easy." I laughed. "That is one of your 'informants' right? I mean, you don't know the name because it was mentioned, right?"

"Alright! The informants are aliens! We all get the idea." Tom plowed directly into our conversation again. "That's about as far as I got, so if you would like to elaborate a little more, I'd love to hear it."

I pointed at him- not taking either arm off the Allspark -and gave him the death glare. "No." I pointed to Will. "I'm going with him. But we aren't leaving yet."

"No, you aren't." Simmons agreed. "Nobody gave you clearance to take government property out of this room. Give that back, son."

"No." I repeated, stressing the syllable out to make my point.

"We're not leaving without Bumblebee." Mikaela inserted herself back into the conversation. She knew how much this meant to me, and she knew I wasn't just going to leave that be.

"So what, you want to take all of our stuff and ditch? That's not happening. You clearly don't understand the fact that you're not allowed to leave the building. We are holding you in custody."

"You're not holding me here." Epps scoffed. "Can I have that thing, kid? I promise I'll get it to our mutual friends."

I gave him a friendly smile. "Normally I would, and I totally trust you, Epps, but I can't let it go right now. It's as important that it gets to them as I do."

"I understand." He nodded, clearly put off slightly by my knowing his name too.

"Are we all friendly here, now? Because no one is leaving." Tom was getting red in the face. "Not you, not you, not that cube, and not the alien in the other room!"

If the atmosphere of a room were in any way related to fate, the same way space and time were connected, I wouldn't be at all surprised. Everyone here was on the defense and offence at the same time, everyone was getting angry and ready to blow. As if this moment in time were so tied to the location in which we were having this rapidly escalating conversation, the Director's very vocal display of weaning patience signaled the exact, perfect moment in time for the alarms to start blaring.

Everyone fell silent, and I hedged back towards Mikaela. "Decepticons. If we get separated, stay with the soldiers or Bumblebee. If I get separated from the Allspark, you take it and only give it to an Autobot."

She nodded, and our exchange seemed to go completely unnoticed as a look of recognition and dread came over everyone here.

Someone burst into the doors. "Sir! Airborne aliens have been spotted in the vicinity. They're armed, and the dam is now under attack."

"Whelp! Looks like this is my cue to get out of here." I started to back out of the throng of angry humans. Mikaela was quick on tow.

"Where do you think you're going? No, you're going to stay in here until further notice." Tom chased after me.

"While the entire Dam gets blown apart? Megatron will stop at nothing to get this Allspark. And he isn't as nice as that one you've got frozen in the other room. That's where I'm going." I explained.

"No, you're not. The situation is falling apart as we speak, you are not about to introduce another wild card." Simmons was upset, to say at the least. He grabbed ahold of my arm, glaring. All around us, people that had come in after the alarms started, or who had been in here as not-so-innocent bystanders were rushing to get weapons and vests on. Apparently, they also kept killing machines with the Allspark.

"The Decepticons are on us, and Bumblebee's out best chance on getting out of here alive." I stated.

"No. We don't know what's going to happen if we let that thing go. Maybe you do, you seem to know a lot more than you should, but we don't." Simmons stated, starting to drag me away from the door.

"You've got to defrost Bumblebee." I insisted, trying to shake free.

Suddenly, Simmons froze and motion stopped again. I leaned my head around to see Will standing behind him with his gun out, pointed at Simmons back. A sense of deja vu hit me, and I knew how this was going to end.

"Take the kid to the alien." Will demanded.

"You're kidding me, right? There's a war going on and you're going to shoot me?" Simmons scoffed. "Put the gun down, soldier."

"I didn't come here by your orders, so I'm not answering to you. Take the kid to the alien."

Like in an old memory, I seen guns pointed everywhere. Sector Seven personnel threatening soldier threatening S-7 personnel.

"Put the gun _down_ , soldier. Or I'm going to count to fi-"

"Well I'm going to count to three." Will cut him off, making Simmons fall silent. If it weren't for the sirens going off, it would be deathly silent in here.

"Simmons, do what he says." Tom finally came to his senses. Not that he seemed to agree with anything we were doing. Maybe he just didn't want bloodshed?

"You're going to put the fate of the world in a popsicle?" Simmons demanded, letting me go with as much spite as possible. "Fine. We're shutting down the coolant. Let's wake the dead."

I lead the way out of that room, Mikaela and the soldiers hot on my tail. I didn't really care to note if the other two were still with us. I was in a hurry to get back to the freezing hanger as quickly as possible.

They understood what was happening by the time we got there. So when I ran up the stairs to the lifts around Bee, no one stood in my way. No one even questioned me when I jumped over to the railing and attached myself to the edge beside Bumblebee. Even though the cooling systems were offline, he would take a while to warm up enough for his systems to jumpstart themselves. Fortunately, I have the Allspark, which seemed to be accelerating the process.

I can't climb over his armor very well while I'm holding the Allspark, but who knows how long it's going to take for him to wake up on his own. I looked around before deciding I was just going to have to do this awkwardly.

"Sam." Mikaela objected as I climbed to the top of the railing. "Just hand it to me. I won't let anyone take it." She motioned to the Allspark. And as much as I believe she's telling the truth, I also think someone will more easily pull one over on her to take it than they would me.

"I'm alright." I insisted, taking my time getting a good grip on his armor. It's already getting warmer, but it still feels lifeless. Holding onto the Cube with one arm, I swung carefully around until I was square over my guardian's spark. Getting closer, dropping down a bit, I pressed my ear to the flatter metal there, trying to hear his spark thrums. And maybe bringing the Allspark closer to his spark will help accelerate his recovery?

"We're just standing around while the kid makes a fool of himself and the enemy is coming down on us?" Simmons objected down below. "We need to get into action. You want to put that gun into use, soldier? Let's go take out some alien planes."

"I've got strict orders to protect that thing he's got with my life. I'm going to stay here." Will answered.

"Come on, come on, Bee." I banged a fist on his armor and started to climb higher up to his head. He's definitely still alive, but he's pretty deep in stasis. I switched the Allspark to my other arm as I got up to his shoulder. Crouching there, I knocked against his head. "Wake up, buddy! You'll never believe what I've got here!"

I heard his systems slowly powering up, and with an involuntary jerk, he started to support himself, taking his weight off the systems put in place to hold him upright. But with my compromised balance from holding the Allspark, I was sent sideways down the way I'd come up. I didn't even reach out to save myself, for my first instinct was to constrict both arms around the Cube to insure it didn't fall away.

I only got halfway to the ground before a familiar, still somewhat chilled, metal hand caught me. The room had quieted down as they all realized the alien robot in the room was now conscious.

"Sam?" His voice was scratchy and hoarse, but it was his. I beamed up at him, loosening my grip on the thing in my arms. "The Allspark?" He sighed in relief, and I nodded.

"Yeah. We've got a lot to catch up on, buddy."

* * *

Yea! Bumblebee! I don't have much to say, but that it might take a little bit for the next chapter. Not only am I still ironing out the details, but I'm going back to college in a couple days. But I'll still be working on this in my spare time, for it still holds my interest.

Until next time!


	9. The Phantom Family

Sorry for the wait. I was really stuck for a while, but very recently, I've been hit in the head with a bat of inspiration and motivation. It was kind of painful, considering I landed on the pavement of homework and work. But we're all good. I'm in that point in the semester when I feel like I've got piles of homework, but I'm actually caught up. It looms over me, and tomorrow it will fall over. Probably. I don't know. All I know is that writing is something I love, and it puts me at ease. Fortunately for this story, I care about it enough to read the last few chapters before picking it up again so I'm actually know where I am. I don't always do that...

Anyways, I thought you might want to know that there is nothing written for the next chapter as of right now. Zilch. Nada. But I know where I'm going, so it won't take much to get it going. As a final note for anyone who actually ever reads these- and I really wouldn't blame you for not as they aren't all that important -I'm going to recommend an anime movie. I've gotten over my anime infatuation by now, but I came across this movie and simply loved it. It's called 'Patema Inverted'.

I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Bumblebee stepped away from all the equipment they had strung around him, his joints creaking as he moved and I heard something snap. But he didn't flinch, so I hope it wasn't anything important. He had to wave an arm ahead of us, pulling hanging wires for the coolant systems out of the way until he was free of it all. He looked tired, but he was rapidly in better condition than I could have hoped for.

"Thank Primus you're alright. When I showed up in the past, I couldn't find you. It all happened quickly, and when we reached the asteroid cluster the Allspark had passed, and Megatron was going to destroy the evidence and take the lead for himself, I acted quickly and took it myself. I had no idea, I hadn't expected. And it was years before you were even born..." He rambled on, voice sounding more and more natural as he spoke.

I laughed, feeling jittery and excited, but also close to tears. I've waited over a month for this, and it felt like forever. Bumblebee's waited over a century, and I couldn't begin to imagine what that would be like. But then, he's been in stasis for most of it.

"I missed you too, buddy. Jeeze, you have no idea what I've been through to get here. I've got the Allspark, and we can't let it get destroyed this time." I held it up.

"I noticed. I don't know if we can avoid that, though, Sam." He paused, as if only suddenly realizing we weren't alone in the room. I can still hear his processors and systems going online, irregularly and slowly, so I assume some of those sensors just came online. He pulled me to the side and looked down at the whole gang gathered around; everyone had backed up as he'd stepped forward, scattering for the most part. "Will? Epps? Mikaela?" Bumblebee sounded surprised. "Simmons? You're all here too?"

"Ah..." Someone, I couldn't tell who from up here, was at least brave enough to almost talk.

"Actually, no. This is them from the past. We're the only two that were sent back." I explained, taking his attention back.

"Oh." He breathed, cycling his vents with a rather painful sound. I flinched. He turned and looked at where he'd just escaped from, rather slow on the uptake. "I guess I took Megatron's place in the ice then, hu?"

"Yeah." I put a hand on one of the digits gripping me. He looked back to me curiously. "Bee, how are you feeling? The Decepticons are on their way here right now, for the Allspark, and we have to get out of here."

"Of course. Megatron thawed when we all showed up here. It makes sense that I am. Is it that day, then?" He mused. "What's the situation?"

"Actually, with you falling into the ice, it completely switched the situation around. At least, I assume so. You're the first 'bot or 'con I've seen since I showed up." I mused. "I don't know where anyone else is, except the Decepticons are actually, probably, already here."

"Who was your car?" He wondered, getting irrationally jealous but hiding it very well.

"No one. I got a normal car. Mikaela and I took a road trip down here in it, and right now we need to take a road trip out of here. It's over a month after when this whole event is supposed to be taking place, because the Decepticons have been spying on me instead of taking action. Summer vacation. Do you think you can transform and drive?"

He nodded, cycling his vents again. They sounded a bit better, but they still made me nervous. But the Allspark seems to be taking good care of him. Maybe he'll even be in good enough condition that Ratchet won't yell at us when we meet up with them? "A whole month?" He paused. "I can't access any of my communications pathways to reach the internet or the transmission line. I've been frozen an entire month longer than Megatron had been?"

"Bee, this isn't the time for bragging about stupid stuff." I rolled my eyes. "We need to get out of here. And we aren't going to Mission City this time."

"No, no. Of course not." He mused, still half distracted from everything that's going on by the slow process of his systems trying to work. So I decided to do as much of the thinking as I could for the both of us.

"The soldiers are on our side. Full throttle, just like last time. Mikaela we can still trust. Those two, not so much. But that's not really news either." I went on, gesturing back down to them all.

For some reason, Bumblebee laughed slightly, completely taking away from the situation.

"What?" I demanded, hissing at him.

"Last time we were all here, they tried their hardest to freeze me like that. This time, they did it."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not really funny. Actually, it's not funny at all. Shut up." I tried to cut that line of thought completely.

"Alright. Alright. We need to strategize." He agreed, getting down to an awkward crouch to get on the humans' level. In the process, he dropped me on his knee the moment it was a viable perch, and motioned the others to come closer. He's only been awake for a few minutes, and all the time he'd been in this alternate continuum before he went under was completely without human presence. So he's used to these particular humans being comfortable enough to at least gather around and talk comfortably. They, on the other hand, were barely willing to come within ten feet.

"The last time Bee and I went through this, we decided to try and drive the Allspark into one of the nearby cities and hand it off into air force hands, to get it out of the line of fire. The Decepticons intercepted and war broke out, the result being a destroyed city, a dozen casualties, including one of our own and the Allspark itself." I started to explain the situation. "This time, however, I'm hoping to avoid that. Bumblebee's still not completely online, and I don't know how long it's going to be until he's fully functioning again. He may be able to transform and drive competently, he may not."

"I can drive just fine. I'm just having minor sensory issues." He insisted, interjecting into my speech.

"Shhh. Alright, Bee's still not in the game until further notice. The Decepticons are probably already here, and we need to find a way to get this Allspark to safety, without some stupid idea like giving it to a human or anything." I went on as if he hadn't even spoken. You're not fully functioning, and I'm not risking you by calling for some skilled maneuvers or fighting skills.

"How about alien hands?" Will asked, brave enough to step up and quickly accept the challenge of working directly with an alien. "Because that's why we're here."

Bumblebee was suddenly standing up, head turned one direction. He had scooped me back up so I wouldn't fall.

"Woah, woah. What is it?" I gasped, getting whiplash.

"The others are here." He stated. "My transmission line just jump started, and they're all hailing me at once. They're here."

"They what?" I gasped, not quite understanding the situation.

"That's what I was going to say." Will stepped up, showing off the fact he wasn't nervous by Bumblebee's full height at all. "Back in Qatar, about the time you started emailing my wife, I discovered a couple unregistered vehicles on the perimeter. They turned out to be aliens, trying to get into our hard drive and find some information out on Sector Seven. Some of the men and I listened to their story and agreed to help. After we found out what they wanted to know, we requested a meeting with this Sector Seven, and they brought us State-side."

Epps joined him. "Yeah. They call themselves Autobots, and they're the ones that drove us down here."

I jaw would have hit the ground if this were a cartoon instead of an alternate timeline. So you're saying Optimus and the others have been sitting up there in the parking lot since before I had the Allspark? You're kidding me, right?

"You have to let them in." I threw half my body over Bee's hand to stare down at Simmons and Tom, exaggerating my point. "This is a serious matter, and you've got to let them in."

"I can't believe this." One of them objected, I couldn't tell from here. It was too quiet to pick out a voice.

"You better. Tell your people to let them in, and no attacking. But as soon as they're in, get all the humans here either off the property and somewhere safe, or the safest place in the Dam. Bee, can you talk to them yet?"

He nodded. "I already told Optimus to come on down."

"This is ridiculous! It's anarchy! Where is the control?!" Simmons objected. "How do I know that these aliens aren't the ones that tripped this alarm? How do I know they aren't going to attack us from the inside?"

"You thought Bumblebee was going to be a threat, and all he's done so far since coming online is try to help you idiots." I snapped. "If they wear this insignia, you can trust them. The bad ones are wearing a pointier one." I pat a hand against Bumblebee's insignia, as it happened to be within reach. "And chances are, if they're flying, they're Decepticons."

"We're in the middle of a full-fledged war, and we can't afford for you to doubt our allies." Epps stated to the two of them. I smiled.

"I like him."

"I hope so. Otherwise it's going to be awkward next holiday." Bumblebee mused. I snorted.

"Wait, what?" Epps frowned in confusion. We both shook our heads.

"Nothing."

"Nevermind." I brushed it off. But Bumblebee was suddenly distracted once more. I was quick to pick up on it, realizing that he was talking with someone on the comm system. "What's going on?"

"They're not coming down." Bee stated, sobering the atmosphere. "Starscream is circling overhead, and they know I have the Allspark. We're meeting them on the surface."

He set me down to transform, and I waved to the others. "Whoever's coming, let's go. The fight's about to start, and I certainly hope you can trust aliens now. If not, I recommend you stay here."

All four doors shut at about the same time. Bumblebee's been conscious in the modern era for less than an hour, and the last time he had use for an alternative form was before he landed on Earth, so it went without saying that we did not pile into a yellow Camaro. Instead, Mikaela and several of the soldiers squeezed into the cargo hold of Bumblebee's pre-Earth alternative form designed not to hold humans. There were no chairs or seatbelts.

"You get a concussion, I'm going to kill you." Bumblebee threatened me, causing several of the others to get nervous looks.

"Great. Another wise-ass." Was Will's brilliant retort.

As we left both Simmons and Tom behind in our dusk, I barely spared a thought as to what they were going to do now. We can deal with them later. Now I'm far more interested in meeting the Autobots once again.

"Who's all here?" I asked Will.

"Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, and Jazz. You know them all, I assume." He raised an eyebrow.

I nodded, the last name striking me. "For the most part."

"Jazz." Bumblebee mused.

"What about him?" Epps asked. "Is there something we should know about that one?"

"Yeah. That one died in this battle last time." I frowned, and Mikaela put a hand on my arm. I nodded. "I didn't know him very well. He's not going down this time."

Bumblebee remained silent, and I got the feeling he wasn't agreeing with me.

We can to a sliding stop on the surface, and I already heard sounds of war. It wasn't much, but those were definitely cannons. Ironhide's cannons, if my ears don't deceive me, and if I had to guess, I'd say they're aimed upwards.

We all flooded out of Bee's alt form, taking different positions. Mikaela stood back, watching while I did the same a bit closer. The soldiers, on the other hand, ran towards the Autobots all standing at the edge of the dam, watching the seekers overhead. Megatron isn't here yet, but it's definitely begun.

Bumblebee picked me up and deposited me on his shoulder as he stepped around to meet the red and blue Autobot leader, who was the first to turn his attention around to greet us. "Optimus."

Prime gave a truly pleased grin and gave Bumblebee a hug. "Welcome back, old friend." I knew I wasn't a part of it, but due to where I was, I couldn't help but to join in as sarcastic a manner as I could. When they stepped apart, Optimus was giving me a curious and unsure look, but failed to say anything before the others started to break away from target practice.

"Bumblebee." Jazz was the next to join in, hugging my guardian also. This time, however, we were lifted a bit into the air as Jazz bent backwards. He wasn't much taller than Bee, but enough to do this. "I was afraid we weren't going to get you back. Ratchet said there was a chance you didn't go into stasis right and you'd gone offline."

"I'm still alive." Bumblebee gave a grin back, really meaning 'you're still alive'. "You have no idea how good it is to see you again."

Jazz snorted. "No longer than all the others. You can't even complain, you were recharging the entire time!"

"Jazz! Get your aft over to the west end!" Ironhide shouted, just before one of the Seekers started firing back. It missed and landed in the water, but the cloud of steam that rose in response seemed to give him an idea. "We can meet and greet later, I need you to start giving us some cover."

"They don't seem to be attacking back yet. If you can give us enough cover, I believe it will buy us more time." Optimus agreed, leaving to join them as Ratchet took his spot. Prime didn't seem all that interested in questioning me right now.

Ratchet, on the other hand, was the first to actually address my presence. "Bumblebee, what, might I ask, are you doing with that human? I realize you've only been online a few breems, but surely you realize you're not supposed to pick them up." Ratchet reprimanded, still poking and prodding nevertheless. First thing's first, a field check-up to make sure Bumblebee was in fit enough state to fight.

"It's fine, Ratchet." I insisted. "I'm used to being up here. I think he's going to be fine pretty soon, as long as I've got the Allspark up here."

He at me as if I were an alien. Technically, to them, I am alien. And yet because of what I said, I would be alien to what they call alien. Which in a round about way, would mean I'm native. So they were looking at me as if I were native to the aliens. Wow. I'm really happy I hadn't been saying any of that out loud.

"Sam and I are both from the future. We were sent back at different points on the timeline from a spacebridge malfunction, and have accidentally caused a few things to change." Bumblebee explained.

"Right." He nodded, calling the entire situation crazy but believable. "Wheeljack?"

"Actually, no." I made a face. "Through, that would be more believable than reality."

Ironhide snorted, declaring the thick fog that was now encircling us all enough cover. He and Jazz came back over to join us while Optimus opted to keep a watch on the Seekers. He's tall enough, I wonder if he's even covered by the fog?

"Did you find this kid, Lennox? I told you not to bring in strays." Ironhide crouched down, a step closer to the soldiers.

"Actually, more like he found us... I think."

"It is very good to have you back, Bumblebee." Optimus finally spoke up, probably bringing the subject back at hand. "And I am sure we will sort this spacebridge malfunction scenario out at a safer time, Boy, but I believe we have a more pressing matter to attend to. The Allspark."

I nodded, glancing down to it. "Yeah. So what are we going to do about it?" I looked back up to him, waiting for the answer.

"Hold on a minute here." This time, it was Mikaela that spoke up, drawing all attention to her. She still kept her distance, but she got over the initial shock and fear of meeting such massive beings for the first time. "Sam, you've acted like you knew what you're doing this whole time, and suddenly, you don't have the answers? What have you been doing this whole time, faking leadership?"

"I've been doing nothing but trying to get home to my family." I answered. "Even if they don't know who I am yet." It suddenly hit me, as I said that, that introductions needed to be made. As it became apparent I already knew them all, not everybody did. "Mikaela, this is Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Ironhide, Jazz, and you've already met Bumblebee. Guys, this is Mikaela, an old friend of mine."

"Yes, and I haven't failed to notice that you know everyone in this room, and yet we still don't know who you are... or why you have the Allspark." Ratchet eyed me suspiciously, but didn't seem to put up too much of a fuss. Out of everyone that I've given a much more extensive explanation on how I got here, the Autobots are the quickest to accept it as fact. Or at least long enough to get the important things done.

"Sorry." I smiled, not even thinking about introducing myself to my own family.

"Samuel James Witwicky." Bumblebee took my down off his shoulder. "And it's alright. He knows exactly what the Allspark is."

Optimus nodded, accepting this and quickly moving on and revealing the fact they had been eavesdropping the entire time. "If you suggest that taking the Allspark farther from this location and attempting to hand it's custody over temporarily will end badly, then we'll find an alternative."

"It seems to me we either need to move it and get the Decepticons off our trail somehow, or we have to stay here and make a stand." Will mused.

"I don't think we're going to get it out of here without them noticing." Ironhide stated blatantly. "And there's no way we can straight-up outrun them like this. We should stand and fight. Chase them off for another day to come."

"But we've still got to get this thing to safety." I insisted. "What do you want to do with it? It can't just stay out here in the open."

"Of course." Optimus nodded in agreeance. He looked upwards at what was blocked from all the rest of our sights once more. "In an optimal outcome today, we would hide it and drive the Decepticons back. But even in such a situation, their departure would only be short lived. With the Allspark back into the picture, I fear we won't have time to rest. We must stay vigilant, for they will not cease until they've gotten it from us."

"What else can we do?" Jazz demanded. "Stay here and wait for them to attack us? Over and over again? Try to outrun them? Here we have the option to retreat underground."

"We need to leave this planet as soon as possible." Optimus stated point-blank, shooting me straight through the heart. Right. Of course. That was the original plan, wasn't it? There isn't really another option, is there? "Jazz, contact the others on the Arc and tell them to land. The closer the better. We'll need the local government's cooperation, however. We can't afford anyone coming to investigate and getting caught in the crossfire."

"I've got this one." The scrawny soldier with the glasses jumped into action. "I'll find a way to get ahold of the Pentagon back inside."

"Um... just pick up the phone?" I questioned.

"Sam, the phones and computers are all down." Mikaela scoffed.

Oh. Right. I vaguely remembered that being a thing. It wasn't all that relevant here, however.

"Alright. They're on their way." Jazz reported.

"So is Megatron." Optimus's voice lowered and he glared out through the fog.

* * *

Now, on the note of the end of a chapter... thank you all so much for the reviews! You may or may not have an idea as to how much I love them all. I was already brushing up on this story for the last couple days, but this chapter definitely would have taken another week or so if it weren't for the sudden and unexpected- but much appreciated -review today.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to prepare my speech on planet classifications and the discovery of 'Planet 9'. I hope you care enough to review!


	10. Mission City: Hoover Chapter

Alright. It's been a bit longer than I had intended to leave this story, given it's almost over. I guess leaving it like this might be giving the wrong impression and making you think there's several more chapters... but that's literally all there are. Three chapters, including this one, and one is an epilogue. Fortunately, at this point in time, I have all but the second half of the epilogue written. So the last actual chapter will be out pretty soon. Honestly, it will be about whenever it comes back to mind, given it's getting into midterm.

In any case, I've actually had an incredibly productive writing weekend. Not only do I have this story a few paragraphs from being finished, but I made major progress in that big story I keep mentioning every once in a while. I've also worked quite a bit on one of my original stories, and even contemplated doing a comic of it instead of my usual story. Not going to happen. While I admire people like the Huss quite a bit, I don't have the patience to redraw the same characters over and over again enough to tell any sort of story. I prefer typing and drawing on the side.

I don't own Transformers. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

I couldn't see the Decepticon leader yet, but after Optimus informed us of his presence, it was unmistakable. The sound of jet engines overhead, circling but only passively attacking back, had shifted. They were diving downwards now, and there was a split second of whistling in the air before a large portion of the tourist building off to the side of the dam was obliterated.

"Take it farther from here." Optimus instructed, pointing out the other direction. Already we were in motion. "Bumblebee, don't let the boy out of your sight. William, you and your soldiers need to stick with Ironhide and Jazz. Try to split them up."

Bumblebee quickly transformed, and I figured we were going to be taking evasive maneuvers. Mikaela crawled in behind me, and the instant the door was shut we were off.

"Put your seatbelts on!" Bumblebee snapped at us. We didn't have time for him to wait until we had them on now, but that doesn't mean he's any less of a stickler about it.

"Where is he? Shoot, how long until the Ark gets here?" I asked, thinking furiously on how this was going to work out. They're leaving... and I don't like that. No, if I end up being stuck in this continuity forever alone, without the Autobots, I'm going to go crazy. But we don't exactly have time to figure out how to get me and Bee home to our own continuity right now. And taking me back with them, if we do get sent home, the versions of us that are supposed to be here are going to be stuck in that situation.

"They're not going to be able to get here for a little while. We have to wait this out. Maybe we can fight them off for another day, or maybe we can just stall long enough." Bumblebee mused half-heartedly.

I snorted.

"Alright, so this big one flying towards us is the one that was supposed to be frozen in there, right?" Mikaela asked, spotting Megatron before I did. I followed her gaze, ducking to look up through the windshield.

"Right. He's bad news." I confirmed.

"Hold on." Bumblebee warned us a second before turning sharply to the right. The Seekers were landing and one nearly hit us. I tightened my grip on the Allspark, pushing my back into the seat. The Seeker- I think his name is Thundercracker.

Ironhide was quickly catching up to us and distracting Thundercracker and we banked to the left, coming to a stop.

"If we get separated, keep running. Run to any Autobot. Run away from the Decepticons. Just keep running." Bumblebee stated.

"Are you really going through this with me right now?" I scoffed. "Are you serious?"

"Samuel, this is Mikaela's first battle." He reminded me. "And last time we were caught in a battle over the Allspark, I lost my legs."

I flinched. "Right. Point taken. If we get separated from Bee, you don't want to stick with me. Trust me, it's not a good idea, because I'm the one they're after. Or, the Allspark is, and I've got it."

"I'm not going to sit there and get killed." Mikaela rolled her eyes. "And I'm not leaving you alone in this. Watch out!" She gasped, suddenly flipping her head around to stare into the rearview mirror. I turned to look behind us to see Thundercracker back and racing after us.

Bumblebee kicked it into gear and we were speeding off in a wide arc around the main fight. Rather quickly, someone else threw the Seeker off. Unfortunately, however, an earth-bound Decepticon came crashing into us.

Bumblebee flipped, and we came to a pivot a little ways away. The doors flipped open and we both dove out just in time for Bee to transform and brace himself for Bonecrusher's attack.

"Oh- my-" Mikaela stared around us.

"Duck." I dove towards her, as they flew over us. Bonecrusher was clearly intent on literally crushing us while Bumblebee was doing well at throwing their weight around to avoid us. "Come on." I was on my feet again, leading the way into the grass and away from the fighting. Will and the other soldiers were nearby, standing far enough back to shoot at a helicopter hovering over the fight.

"Hey, hey." I panted and pointed towards where Bee was. He nodded and he waved for the others to follow him in helping Bee out. Not that Bee can't handle a one-on-one like that, but we kind of need him right now.

"What are we doing?" She asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. "What are we doing here?"

"Trying to stay alive."

"By just running around? That's a terrible plan." She objected, looking around. No one seemed to have noticed us just standing here yet, thankfully.

"Welcome to my life." I wagged my eyebrows and decided to rephrase my last thought. We ducked and ran to avoid another Decepticon that had managed to slip away. There are more Decepticons than Autobots here, which doesn't look so great for us.

"Get back here." Barricade himself, my old friend, was now after us. "You..."

"What?" Jazz demanded, suddenly showing up and kicking his current Decepticon towards Barricade. "I didn't hear you?" He laughed.

Jeeze I hope you don't die. He looked towards us and pointed towards the throng. "That is the direction you shouldn't be running."

"That's the direction we're not out in the open." I contradicted.

"Whatever. Don't get stepped on." He insisted, returning to his fight.

I looked around quickly, pushing Mikaela away from the next Decepticon that spotted us. Thankfully, this took us back around to Bumblebee, who seemingly managed to push Barricade back and disorient him. He spotted us and quickly grabbed us when we were close enough.

"I swear, we're going to die." Mikaela gasped. "Isn't there anything more we can do?"

"You can help distract. We're going to take this fight on the run." Bumblebee stated, running with us away from the battle. With so many Decepticons caught in battle with the Autobots, they couldn't all follow us. They couldn't all even notice we were going anywhere. The ones that did were detoured by the Autobots anyways, with the resulting battle field getting elongated and stretched out. This made things a bit harder for them.

We were outnumbered and we had a while before help came, and yet we were holding our own. Mikaela and I found ourselves on the ground again, at the edge of a line of thin trees. We were farther from the road and the shine of the water behind the dam was just a line now, and I remembered why I hate running like this.

"Bee!" I shouted, not paying much mind to the fact he was wrestling with Barricade now.

"I'm busy!"

"How much longer until the Arc gets here?"

"I don't know! Shut up!"

I rolled my eyes and Mikaela punched me. We were hiding in a ditch so they couldn't see us from a distance. The fight kept getting closer again, but right now the only Decepticon that could see us is Barricade.

"Shut up." Mikaela insisted. "Don't distract him."

"He's fine. Barricade's a whimp."

Hearing this made Barricade angry, and he tried to fire towards us. Bumblebee jerked his arm around so the shot missed. In doing so, he managed to throw Barricade farther off and get the upper hand.

"See?"

Mikaela punched me again. I sighed and lowered my chin to the surface of the Allspark.

No, I'm freaking out. I'm keeping my cool, I've been through this before, but I'm freaking out. How close to the end of the war are we, once again, because of this thing? Megatron isn't going to stop fighting, and I'm not going to let go of this thing.

I'm not letting it go. "I'm not letting you go." I whispered.

"Sam!" Mikaela didn't pay any attention to this, pulling me down as Bumblebee rolled over the ditch and landed on the other side. Barricade was up again, and the battle was catching up with us. He wasn't the only one that could see us now.

"Sh-"

"Run!" She urged, pulling on my arm to pull me out of the ditch. I rolled onto my feet, chasing after her towards Bumblebee, who was already getting back up.

"Turn right!" A familiar voice shouted behind us. I jerked that direction instinctively and Bumblebee acted to put himself between us and the Decepticons just before the ground exploded. Ironhide came screeching around just after, firing at the 'cons that weren't disoriented by the blast. "Head back towards the Dam. We're leading these scrap in circles."

Without further instruction, we started running back around the battle, avoiding every shot fired and every lunge towards us. Ratchet and Optimus were closer to the heart of the fight where Megatron and Starscream were. I didn't spend much time watching them as we flew past that part, just long enough for Megatron to be certain where the Allspark was and fire towards us. Optimus threw the shot off, however, and I heard an angry growl behind us.

"Prime! Why defend one, lone human when your entire race lays to death?" Megatron demanded, furious. "Fool!"

"Why make others suffer for your mistake?" Optimus countered, only infuriating him further. I didn't pay any attention to what else was said, but I can definitely say the fight wasn't following us like a worm. Instead, Megatron was fighting tooth and nail to throw Optimus off and chase after us.

We were finally in the clear, and I chanced a glance backwards. Barricade, who had been hot on our trail, had been thrown towards Prime by Megatron, used as a distraction to allow Megatron enough time to change direction towards us. Bumblebee changed direction quickly and we followed, trying to stay in the same order we'd maintained this whole time. When Megatron was nearly upon us, Bumblebee changed direction again to intersect him in an attempt to buy us time.

Memory of how Jazz died flashed before my eyes. He died trying to distract Decepticons.

"No." I changed direction.

"Sam, keep going!" Mikaela objected. "What are you doing?"

"Samuel." Optimus caught back up with us. I ducked to avoid him grabbing at me.

"No, Bee!" I objected, despite Bee had managed to avoid letting Megatron grab ahold of him.

Optimus decided to stop trying to grab at me and turned to address this problem. I watched in horror while Megatron threw Bumblebee back, the opposite direction we were. That's when Megatron turned towards us, bringing his cannon around to fire. Optimus was already here, and Bumblebee was getting back up. My heart was pounding, and I felt like cold water had been poured on my head.

"Sam, what's wrong with you? Keep running." Mikaela was pulling at me again.

Bumblebee was rushing around, and I took a deep breath, going in the same direction.

Things are different here. Things have already changed, and this isn't just about stopping things from happening that are supposed to happen. Anything can happen, and that reality just hit me in the face.

"Sam!" Mikaela screamed at me, now bothered by my direction. Instead of heading straight outward, I was meeting up with Bumblebee. "Uhhhg."

"I don't like this, I don't like this, I don't like this." I shook my head, finally colliding my path with Bee's. He went to pick me up and I started kicking him. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

"Sam, calm down. Calm down." Bumblebee finally grabbed at me. "This is not the time and place."

"You idiot! You almost died! What are you doing?"

He gave me a weird look, but shook his head and picked Mikaela up to start running again. He decidedly ignored me, and kept going.

That's when the ground under him exploded from someone's cannon and he stumbled. Angling the fall in a way we'd still be on our feet, he hit the ground and Mikaela kept going for several paces before looking back. I didn't move.

"Sam, go. I'm fine." Bee insisted, already starting to get up again. Slower this time, and one glance towards his feet told me he'd been hit.

"Keep running boy!" Megatron boomed. Optimus wasn't in sight when I looked back that direction briefly. I turned back to Bee, but still refused to go anywhere. "Keep running, give me a chase!"

Bee started firing that direction and Mikaela was yelling at me, but I still didn't move. He hit Megatron, but directly in his heavily armored chest. Even I could tell you a direct hit to the chest won't do anything for most any armored mech- or femme. It's the most protected part of the protoform, and it's useless to try to do damage there. But Bumblebee was struggling to land any blows at all.

"Do you remember Mission City?" Bumblebee asked me as he fired. Megatron was changing direction, still coming straight for us. Now, I see, Optimus is trying to shake off Starscream and Blackout, and he nearly had ahold of Megatron again.

I nodded. "I'm not leaving you again. This isn't the same." I argued.

"Not what I mean." He denied. "The Ark still isn't due for a bit, there's no way it'll get here in time. You can't keep running now."

"Sam! Come on!" Mikaela was backing up, ready to keep running without me as Megatron came even closer. Optimus broke free long enough to detour Megatron once more, but Starscream was quick to return as Megatron used Prime's own momentum to toss him on outward. Megatron was back towards us in seconds. This time Tundercracker joined Starscream in hindering Optimus. They were using one of the soldiers, baiting Prime.

"Do you remember the original plan back then?" Bee kept going, turning to look at me.

I glared at him and kicked him again. "No!"

"Suck it up, Sam." He insisted. "This isn't the first time you've been in battle, and these things happen."

"I fell into a freaking pile of wires! I fell! On accident! That's all that happened, I didn't sign up for this." I moaned, pretty sure my grip on the Allspark was cutting off my circulation.

"Alternate reality or not, Megatron is not getting the Allspark." Bumblebee insisted, giving up on firing at Megatron and reaching over to grab me. He deposited me on his chest armor, for he was reclining back and clearly not about to actually get up.

I didn't sign up for this. I accidentally fell into a pile of malfunctioning spacebridge parts, and now I'm going to lose the Allspark- again -and Bee? No! I didn't shove it into Optimus's spark the first time, I'm not doing it to Bumblebee this time!

"Sam!" Bee yelled at me. I turned to glare at him. "Don't you dare! This isn't a mirror copy of our world. This change and nothing is guaranteed. You're not going to die here."

Right. This is as fresh and new of a world as the one I know. Just because everything is real similar doesn't mean there's any universal law that it has to turn out the same. There's no guarantee that Bumblebee is going to live through this, and I'm not going to be responsible for that change of events.

"We can't go home if one of us is dead." I glared at him.

When Megatron was upon us, Optimus right behind but still too far away to reach us in time, Bumblebee was going to knock me away. His guardian senses must be going crazy right now, if that's how they work. I don't care, I stepped up and held the Allspark up in deja vu. Just the same as I remember. It got hot, just the same as I remember. Megatron wasn't expecting this move. He didn't have time to react, and this time I had even better aim.

The Allspark dissolved in my hands, disappearing, melting into Megatron's spark and he screeched in pain, falling over. Just like last time.

No. There is a universal law of order, because the Allspark had to be destroyed. When everything went silent as the last of the Allspark pulsated in space, sedating Megatron's personal spark, everything was back on track. Those who were meant to be offline were gone, those who were meant to be online remained, and everything that had to be brought together were joined while the things that had to be torn apart landed in shards on the ground.

Everything was dark. The Allspark's surge of energy as it was destroyed passed through us, and everything around us disappeared in a rather familiar manner. Nevertheless, I still felt Bumblebee below me.

* * *

So. Was it worth the wait? Were you expecting something different? Are you thoroughly confused by the ending to this chapter or do you understand what's happened?

This story seems a lot more serious than I had originally intended. Especially this chapter. However, I believe the next one will put it all into perspective and wrap it up in the tone I had hoped for. And once this story is finished, I don't think I'll be posting any new ones in a while. I'll put myself to actually working on the older ones... which I have neglected during the duration of this one.

Please, review. Tell me how I did and what I can improve in future stories. Do I do well enough in providing information, but not giving things away completely?


	11. Home for the First Time

This one is a shorter chapter. All about falling action, giving you a bit of a contrast to the last chapter's overall mood. I tried to change the tone here pretty substantially, because this is the last chapter that pulls it all together. This is the chapter that finalizes the story, and I hope it's not too much of a whiplash.

And as for the reviews I received, thank you so much! I don't know for sure what's happening, but in the last few days, I've gotten a large spike in reviews for several of my stories from several different people. Somewhat related, there's a huge spike in activity surrounding my Pinterest where there's usually not in the same time as all of these reviews, favorites, and follows. I don't think I've done anything different, have I? Either way, I hope you're all pleasantly surprised during this chapter and it doesn't feel forced at all. Everything written below I've had planned since the beginning, so just a few words of encouragement.

Enjoy!

* * *

I blinked my eyes open. It smells weird in here. I'm on a hard surface, when was the last time I woke up on a hard surface like this? No, I'm pretty sure I sleep in a bed now. Except... last night? Last night I slept outside. So where am I now? And what is that awful, sterile, metallic smell that is so familiar and makes me feel like I shouldn't be here?

My vision came into focus. When was the last time I was so dizzy like this? Jeeze, it's like Egypt all over again, with that spacebridge-

Oh. I just traveled through a spacebridge, and now I'm in Ratchet's medical bay.

I sat up and stretched my sore muscles. The last time I went through a spacebridge, going to that other, weird continuity, I felt sore like this too. Even though I wasn't tossed a dozen feet in the air and landing in the desert, it sure felt like it. But last time I hadn't woken up. I was just switched from one place to another, sitting in Dad's car holding that paper. What makes this one so different?

There's Bee. He's still unconscious, laying over there just like me. I wonder, have we just been laying in here the whole time? How long were we gone? Is it proportionate? It can't be, because then he'd be unconscious for over a hundred years and I'd only be in a coma for a couple months. So what is this? And why is seeing him laying down there like that bothering me so much?

Oh. We were just in the middle of a big fight, like Mission City, where he almost died. Yup. I'd say that's enough to bother me.

I immediately started to walk around the side of the counter I woke up on and determined the best path to climb over to him. I'd failed to keep the Allspark safe there, but... it's not so bad. No. I destroyed it in both continuums, and I mean, things worked out here, didn't they? I mean... eventually.

I was almost to the top of the berth Bumblebee was laying on when Ratchet came back in. He stood in the door, watching me, before sighing and walking in.

"Awake for five minutes and you're already trying to kill yourself again." He pinched the back of my shirt. He was hauled into the air and hung in front of his face. "What's your name?"

"Samuel James Witwicky. Already forget who I am?" I laughed, giving a thankful grin. It's good to be home.

He started scanning me. "No, I was afraid you had. After you fell into the spacebridge parts, and Bumblebee went tumbling in after you, you both fell unconscious. When you woke up, you both acted like you were in the wrong place and time."

I frowned and tilted my head- straightening it again when he bopped me upside it. "How so?"

"Bumblebee didn't know a lick of English- he had to get the language file again -and you acted like you've never seen an Autobot before a day in your life." He mused, deeming me fit and dropping me on top of Bumblebee, who was still unconscious. "It was almost as if we'd taken you both directly from the past."

I crossed my legs, thinking. "I think I know what happened."

"I do too." He went back to where I had been laying, and messed with some piece of equipment he'd probably had focused on me. "That spacebridge sent you to an entirely different version of reality, switching you out for the native Samuel and Bumblebee here."

I frowned. "That's right, but how'd you know? We both would have come from a point on the timeline before realizing anything was different. How'd you know it was a different continuum and not ours?"

"Because, I don't remember the reverse happening in the past. And I'm sure you don't either." He turned to face me, crossing his arms. "If you two went back to replace those two, things would have changed, and it would have created a different reality of events. I tried to explain this to them both, and I believe Bumblebee started to understand all of what had happened, but you were far more fixated on insuring we didn't squish you." He chuckled.

I laughed. "Oh jeeze, I wish I could be there to see them react to the situation we left them in."

He tilted his head this time. "What happened there?"

"Bumblebee took Megatron's place in crashing to Earth, so you guys ended up following him here and meeting the soldiers. Only you didn't attack the base, you convinced Will to help. It was far more efficient than the Decepticons' antics." I mused. "Which means the Decepticon were the ones that discovered me and the glasses. They didn't pretend to be my car or actually ask me for them, they just waited until I went on my road trip to the Hoover Dam to swoop in and steal them."

"Road trip to the Hoover Dam." He mused, clearly amused.

"It sounds like I'm telling you about some crazy dream! Bee'll back me up when he wakes. But seriously, Mikaela and I took some stupid, ordinary car down to the Hoover Dam to meet Sector Seven, defrost Bee, and get the Allspark. Instead of taking it to Mission City, we called for the Ark to just come down and get it off the planet."

"That would have taken a significant amount of time to pull off." Ratchet mused.

I nodded, sobering up. I looked over to Bee, wishing he'd wake soon. "Yeah. It did. I actually never got to see the Ark. When Megatron caught up to me this time, Bee was the one trying to be self-sacrificing and making me shove it in his spark, instead of Optimus."

"And you didn't." He assumed.

I shook my head. "Ha. No. Stupid idiot, like I could actually do that. I killed Megatron again. I was hoping they wouldn't have to lose the Allspark like we did... but I guess it had to happen."

He nodded. "Somethings just can't change. I don't know much on time continuums or that sort of thing, I'm only a medic, but I don't image another turn of events that could have possibly resulted from that day. With the Allspark so near, neither side was going to back off or concede. We were going to drive our species to extinction then and there, or destroy the very thing we fought over."

I sighed, nodding.

"But from what it sounds like," He tried to cheer me up, being so weirdly non-Ratchet like. "Their course of events is back on track. The Allspark is gone, Megatron is temporarily offline, and your future is undeniably intertwined with ours. I'm sure that having to experience the death of the Allspark twice in a lifetime is very hard, but you do know that it's rebirth will be within both also."

I smiled sadly. "Yeah. But... you have no idea how it felt. That whole time I was there for months, the whole time it felt like I had a handle on things. I knew how events were supposed to take place, and I figured I could use it to my advantage. But then Megatron almost ripped Bee apart like... like Jazz..." I suddenly realized Jazz is gone in this continuity, "I realized that things were different, and I had no idea how it was going to pan out."

"We never know how events are going to unfold." Ratchet reminded. "You lost an advantage you never had."

I sighed and nodded. "But... they've still got Jazz. Apparently his death wasn't as necessary for the fate of the universe."

"There. You changed one thing for the better. So stop beating yourself up." He insisted.

Bumblebee was finally starting to stir and I adjusted my position just in case he decided to sit up without catching me- like that'd ever happen.

I gave Ratchet a quizzical stare as Bee's hand came up to hold me down while he sat up. "Why are you being so nice right now? You should be lecturing me on something or another, or throwing a fit."

"Hm?" Bumblebee moaned, only starting to be aware of things a bit quicker than I had. "Is Ratchet being nice? Don't trust him, he's plotting something."

Said medic snorted and started towards the door again. "I can't be in a good mood the day we return home?"

In an instant, everything changed. Everything we'd just experienced in that alternate universe was rendered irrelevant, because we were there.

Up on the observatory deck, we joined every other remaining Autobot to admire the massive metal planet quickly approaching us. We've been on this ship for several years, long enough to make my time in that alternate universe seem like a week, and we were finally there. We made it to Cybertron.

"Welcome back, Bumblebee. Samuel." Optimus greeted us as we came to a stand beside him. I admired the planet for the first time from my perch on Bee's shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. I've never seen Cybertron in person before, so I can't even imagine what it's like for everyone else here to stare at that hunk of metal. But I can know what it feels like to look at it and know that it's so alive.

As the person that killed it twice, I know the joy in seeing an entire planet thriving once again. Cybertron has healed itself, and at it's very center, in the same location it was when it originally formed during the time of the Original Thirteen themselves... the Allspark was back.

"Welcome home."

* * *

Dun dun-dun, The End. All of Sam's worries about loosing the Allspark were more or less driven by actually holding it in his arms, but he knew that eventually it would reform anyways and all would be well. Everyone is home, back where they belong, and Sam never has to see 'DOC' again...

This Sam at least...

There will be a short epilogue, about the length of this chapter, and you can expect it in the next few days. I'm nearly finished with it. I'm actually kind of waiting to read feedback from this chapter to see what is best to put in it. No hints yet, though.

So please, review. The epilogue is going to be rather reader-driven, so long as suggestions fit in with what is already planned, and I'd love to hear your overall reactions anyways.


	12. Epilogue

So, going through all my unfinished stories, I saw this one and had a miniature panic-attack. I could have sworn I finished this story! Well... I did. So, sorry to keep everyone waiting on that 'finished' stamp, and then put this update on and fool you all into thinking the story was not yet complete. Well, it is. The resolution has come and passed, and all you've been waiting on was the half-finished epilogue. So I just finished this epilogue up real quick to publish it, it's a shame it took as long as it did. But, then, I've gotten distracted with a new, shiny obsession. As this is the final post for this story, and I really don't feel too guilty running my mouth because if you don't care, you could just skip this, I'm going to put in a little word about Miraculous Ladybug. Sure, it's a cartoon, but I enjoy it thank you very much, and you should too.

Oh well. I don't own Transformers, and I sincerely hope you enjoy this epilogue!

* * *

I blinked my eyes open. It smells weird in here. I'm on a hard surface, and it's rather uncomfortable. I feel awful, my muscles are yelling at me, and I wonder what shit I've gone through to deserve this.

Groaning, I started to comprehend the things around me. I'm in an unfamiliar environment. It looks like some warehouse... or factory... or something I don't know.

Oh. Shoot. I remember the last time I felt like this. I was randomly zapped into the weirdest place I've ever seen- weirder than this place -and was suddenly surrounded by a bunch of giant alien robots.

I sat up quickly, looking around for an explanation. It's a huge room with adults in very official looking suits wandering everywhere. Nearby there was a doctor with a few soldier looking people that were obviously injured. But I wasn't laying on a cot or sitting on a counter like them. I was pulled aside and was laying on some box that clearly had some other purpose... with a giant alien robot laying unconscious several paces away.

I swung my legs around to stare at the alien. He's the yellow one. The one that couldn't speak English at first, and seemed to know about as much as I did about what was going on. He was real nice, and funny, and I can honestly say that at the end of the month or so I spent there, we were pretty good friends. So where are we now? This clearly isn't Ratchet's medical bay. Ratchet scares me, and he wouldn't let so many humans in- oh shoot. There he is.

The medical officer crouched by Bumblebee's head, facing me and gave a slight smile. "It's good to see you waking up, but lay back down." He reached over to make me lay down again. I seized up, still not used to them interacting with me so easily.

"I'm fine." I insisted, fighting it. "I'm just... dizzy again."

"Again?" He paused.

I was able to sit up again. "Yeah... like that first time. When I woke up in those wires."

He gave me a weird look. "You say this as if I should be aware of such an incident. Samuel, we met less than twenty four hours ago and this is the first time I've been present for you coming online."

"Right." I brushed the oddity off. "Where are we?"

"Back inside the dam. Sector Seven asked to keep us contained and out of sight while they cleaned up the damage outside."

"Inside the... outside... are we on Earth?" I asked, gasping.

He gave me another weird look. "Yes. Where else would we be?"

I fell off the box-thing and kissed the ground. "Oh, sweet, sweet Earth. I've missed you."

"Perhaps I missed something when I scanned you." Ratchet mused. "By curiosity, where else would you believe yourself to be?"

"I just spent a month in the middle of outer space. It's been weeks since I've seen another human, I thought I was never going to see another organic again." I was practically crying tears of happiness. Sure, I've sort of gotten used to these guys, but I didn't sign up for traveling to an alien planet for the rest of my life.

When I finally finished with my sickening display of homesickness, I realized Ratchet was watching me not with skepticism at my actions, but curiosity.

"Ah... c- can I help you?" I asked, straightening myself out.

"Let me guess. You were living an entirely normal, human life when you suddenly woke up in the presence of several Autobots due to a spacebridge parts malfunction that only became apparent after you arrived."

"Ah... that about sums it up. I mean, I think I'm back home again. I mean, in my normal timeline, or whatever." I looked around, deciding this despite there still being nothing I found familiar except the presence of humans. "So, did the Sam that they know show up here while I was gone?"

He nodded, standing up to his full height. "Showed up, found the Allspark, and took over the entire mission like he knew us all for years."

"That's because he did." I blinked, sitting back on the box and looked to Bumblebee, who was still unconscious. "Where I woke up, from what I understand, they had left Earth after going through everything that happened here, and more, and they were all headed back to your home planet, ah, Cybertron?" He nodded in confirmation. "From what I could tell, that version of me seemed to know you guys real well."

He nodded and looked to Bumblebee too. "He's left you in a situation too. You are now Bumblebee's charge, untrusted by the government, and should you prove to truly be the same Samuel that has apparently just left us, welcome into our midst any time. I'm going to inform Prime of your return to normality."

Only after he'd walked away did the mingling humans mingle unrestrained. His presence obviously made them nervous, and they'd given us a rather large bubble. Bumblebee, unconscious and not moving, didn't seem to bother them nearly as much, however. Or, he didn't until he started to wake up; groaning and sitting up.

He seemed shocked to see so many humans walking around. He looked around quickly, moving to get up and make an escape to familiar territory. He was definitely the Bumblebee I had gotten to know on the space ship; completely unfamiliar with humans save for me. And when he noticed me, sitting here watching him, he seemed to relax. He shifted a bit closer, so we could talk.

"We're on your planet, I take it?"

I nodded. "Earth. Yeah."

"And... you are the Sam that was on the Ark with me?"

I nodded again. "Yeah. We're back in our correct timeline. I'm not sure what's happened, I just woke up, but the other guys- the ones we replaced on that ship -had been here."

"And... the others? There are other Autobots here, right?" He looked around us again, almost panicking. Well, I understand him. He's never met a human a day in his life, except the past month or so he's known me- just me -and now he suddenly wakes up surrounded by them with no sign of his own kind in sight. Actually, it's probably a bit less scary for him, since he at least knew me before hand. I hadn't known any Autobots before I woke up on that ship.

I nodded and pointed through the large door Ratchet had disappeared behind. "Ratchet was just in here. He went to go talk with Optimus. I don't know who all is here, but those two at least are."

"They said Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Jazz had been the first to land on Earth, and I'll assume this is then." He stated, moving to stand up and automatically going to pick me up, like had been the norm on the ship. It wasn't like I could traverse it by foot, anyway. But, he pulled away and glanced around, realizing that that wasn't necessary.

I slipped off the box and started walking toward the large door that all the humans are avoiding. I don't need to be carried here, but I'm still going with you. I rather like these Autobots.

"It seems to me like we've got quite a journey ahead of us, don't we?" Bumblebee mused, watching the humans that gave him a distrustful look as we passed.

"If I'm going to be leaving Earth with you guys, I'd like to say a _lot_ happens over the next few years." I agreed, trying to suppress the nervousness that was bubbling up in my stomach as I followed him in through the large door. I'm still not used to them, and I'd still feel more comfortable around humans I know, but at the moment it's humans I don't know or aliens I do know.

These aliens I do know, I think I'll stick with them.

* * *

I never intended it to be very long. I thought about making it longer, because you all had to wait so long for it, but then I thought... no. Nah. I'd rather spend that time on other stories. I've been trying to work on finishing all my stories on here, but looking at some of them that's been open for years, I'm incredibly disinterested in them. My writing from back then wasn't the best, not saying I'm all that great now but I have improved, and they're really just sort of blah. Nevertheless, I'll do my best to finish them and leave it at that. I'd just so much rather focus on my newer stories, which in my opinion are far more interesting and easier to read.

Anyways, there will probably be one of those newer stories up in a little bit. I hope you all enjoyed DOC: Destroyer of Continuities. It's the ending of one story and the beginning of another (But please don't take that the wrong way, I have no intention of continuing this new version of reality's story. It just sort of progresses as regular Sam's story went, just with a different beginning).

Please tell me what you thought of the story and where I can improve in the future. Or, if you like, just rant about something. I'm not picky. Rant to me about cats.


End file.
